Don't Fall
by Mama Bunny
Summary: Set after FF4 TAY. Inspired by a friend's story to reach out to people feeling suicidal and my own dreams. Kain has suffered depression before, and once walked the path he now leads a member of the Troian Royal Court. He has longed to find good purpose in life, and now he has the chance, so he takes it. Kain x OC, Ceodore x Ursula. Warnings: depression, suicidal thoughts, angst.
1. Chapter 1

Fanfiction: Don't Fall Based on: Final Fantasy IV The After Years Warnings: suicide, OC

By SuzuriHeinze

FIC START!

When Kain left the Dragoons of Baron behind, he knew that it was a way of getting a fresh start in life. He loved his homeland. The castle in which he grew up in alongside Cecil and Rosa; the lovely village where he took his first punch to the face; the grassy plains where he spent many an hour with his father's beloved wyvern before it passed away... Kain loved that place more than anywhere in the world. That moment when he told his closest childhood friends - the King and Queen of Baron now for almost twenty years - that he was leaving left him feeling sad, desolate, alone.

But, upon deep reflection, he also knew that he needed time away from Baron, even more than the seventeen years he was away. He accepted his past transgressions, and all of those in the family back home forgave him multiple times despite the fact that he could not. Yes, he was close with them many years ago, but now... those days seemed distant after the War of the Crystals. The days when Golbez used Baron's resources to tear apart the world. It was then that Kain betrayed his best friend and the woman he grew to adore. Every day he was awake, Kain remembered all of those events. Every single one ripped through his memory, his heart, his soul, over and over again. And no matter how many times Queen Rosa embraced him to tell him that everything was fine now, Kain didn't believe it. Seeing her beautiful blue eyes look at him with worry was far too much for him to endure on a daily basis. As much as he would have loved to return home, that expression ate into his being like a parasite.

He closed his eyes as he stood upon the dock of the airship, letting the wind brush his blonde hair against the cerulean sky. Kain took a deep breath, realizing that he had been away from Baron for a few moons time, at the very least.

He took on the job of being Prince Ceodore's personal commander to help him attain his proof of knighthood. The boy was eager to learn, having asked if he could have time in Fabul to specifically gain upper body strength before heading on to the cave where the proof of knighthood could be attained. While in Fabul, Kain recieved a letter from one of the traveling companions from during the War of the Crystals. It had been sent to Baron, but a Baron messenger brought it to Fabul. The White Mage Porom told him of an earthquake that hit Troia during her last stay, and many were without homes. The Epopt Council asked of her to send for anyone that could help with rebuilding, and Kain was the first she thought of. He decided that a few weeks in the hands of Master Yang would do him good, and he was on the airship headed for the westernmost country in the world.

Why?

He answered his own question. There were people in need of help, and while he was training Ceodore, he was also trying to do everything he could to make up for everything he'd done in the past. Kain wanted to make a difference in the world, a positive one.

"Sir," the pilot of the airship said, calling Kain out of his long-winded thoughts. "We are landing in Troia."

"All right, then," Kain said with a nod, feeling the ship decend straight down onto a patch of grass right outside the village wall. He had no idea how it worked, as he was not an engineer of airships or a pilot, but after spending so much time traveling on the flying boats, he was used to that sensation even more than flying on the back of a dragon anymore. And that only made him think about when his father was alive, well over twenty-five years ago, when their family's wyvern was in the best of health.

He remembered having been here before many years ago. Once the ship had been firmly landed onto the ground, Kain took a moment to disembark and look at the environment. Troia was a nation blessed by the Crystal of Earth. The land was full of vegitation, and grew better harvests than anywhere else in the world. In fact, Troia was the number one provider of food to desperate nations after the War of the Crystals had ended. It only made sense that someone would come to repay the long overdue favor.

"Kain!" a female voice called out to him. He turned to see the cute pink-haired Porom standing there next to the village entrance, waving at him. Before he could wave back, she was all ready running up to him. The next thing he knew, he was being embraced tightly by her, and all he could do was give her a friendly pat on the shoulder in return. "Oh, it's been so long. Where have you been? Were you not in Baron?"

"No, I've had other duties that have needed my attention," Kain replied as she pulled away. "I had been in Fabul, seeing to Ceodore's training. A Baron messenger brought me your letter. And I left the moment I had the chance." He pulled her letter from his pocket. "You wrote of an Earthquake tearing apart the village?"

"Most are without homes. Are the Red Wings of Baron willing to take the time to help this country town?" Porom asked. "In the past, this would have been considered beneath the military might of such an elite unit."

"All the help Troia has given us over the many moons must be repaid somehow. Even though it is just me and the crew of the Falcon, we are more than willing to do what we can to help," Kain said, smiling slightly. "Now that there are no more wars, we should focus on more peaceful efforts."

"Hmm, you're right," Porom agreed. "If you guys are coming..."

Kain turned to the airship and let out a loud "Red Wings, fall in!" All ten of the men that manned the airship stood in a five by two formation within five minutes. "We are here to assist in the rebuilding of Troia. The Epopt Council is in power here, and whatever they say is the law. Do what you can to help the citizens of Troia as well." He then did an about-face and marched with them into the town itself.

The village had one entire building standing whole, and even a part of the nearby castle was missing. People were huddled in cloth tents. Kain smelled the air, noting that it had also rained recently. He took a few more steps, feeling the ground squish beneath his boots. Porom was with the villagers, healing wounds and trying to lend an ear to their troubles. Kain sent five of his men to work on rebuilding a house, and the other five to fixing a storehouse that held precious food reserves. He picked up a hammer to start working on the village wall, when he noticed a woman running from the castle as if she was in the deepest state of panic.

Porom stood up immediately, recognizing the woman as someone very important. Kain couldn't hear the conversation, but he could tell from their faces alone that the news was not pleasant. He reached for some nearby cut wood. It smelled of decay. He was going to need cut stone for this, and he had no idea where to get it in this country. Kain needed to speak with someone about it. He approached Porom and the woman from the castle.

"I'm not sure what I can do about it," Porom said, even though her face revealed worry. "An airship can't get that close, can it?"

"No, that's too dangerous. It could damage the castle!"

Without any ideas, Porom grunted. She turned around to see Kain standing there, waiting for an opportunity to speak. "Kain?" she asked. "Is something the matter?"

"The wood planks that were set next to the wall have rotted," he said plainly. "If you wish to see it mended properly, I will need stone. Where can my men find the hard, white stone used for construction in this village? All of the buildings are made with it." Kain held up one of the wooden planks to show them both the damaged state it was in. "This will not hold."

"The quarry is up north, close to the magnetic cave," the woman from the castle said quietly. "Thank you, young man, for caring enough to bring this to our attention."

"I wish not to have to rebuild more than once," he replied. "I will head over to the Magnetic Cave and bring back stone with the airship."

Porom watched him start to leave, but suddenly reached out for him and grabbed his hand. "Kain. Before you go, I need your help with something important."

"Oh?"

"Lady Tiala here tells me that the Troian Skyreader has locked herself away in the tallest part of the castle," Porom explained. "She's important to Troia, as she is the one that reads the stars via magic to see the future and can read the weather based on the behavior of the sky. The Epopt Council is worried as she's been in there for a week."

Kain faced Porom and uttered "...what would you have me do?"

"Only what a dragoon can do. Jump up there and see if you can find out what's going on." Porom said. "No one here can climb up walls. We aren't Eblan ninjas. We're mages and farmers out here. I know the moon brought you to us because this is something only you can do."

"I will do my best," Kain said, following Porom and Lady Tiala to the castle.

He took a deep breath again, just like he had when he was on the airship. There were things in this world, good things, that were meant just for him to do. Even if it seemed a waste to have all his combat ability used to simply find a missing important member of the Troian court, Kain was thankful that he could use something he trained for so long to be useful. There were no forseeable wars in the future. How else could he use his Jump skill? 


	2. Chapter 2

Don't Fall, part 2

FIC START!

Home to a society ruled by a council of only eight women that obeyed the will of the Earth Crystal and a military full of nothing but lady soldiers, Troia was known to be a paradise for women around the world. Kain had only been to Troia once, and that was only to search for the Earth Crystal during the War seventeen years ago. He noticed that even though there was damage due to the Earthquake, it was a well kept place. Flowerbeds alongside the paths leading up to and from the castle were more ornately designed than the stone statues that dotted the Baron Keep, and were far more than the decorations that were sparcely used in Fabul. He wondered for a split second about the differences in culture between the three nations, before he called his thoughts back to the task at hand.

Following lady Tiala and White Mage Porom to the castle, he heard their boots quickly click-clack on the damp stone pathway. Soon, Tiala looked up at the tall tower before them and pointed upward.

"There!" she shouted. "The window is open!"

And at that very second, the head of a brunette popped right out of that exact window. Her face was impossible to see from this height, but Kain could see the person's hair flow along with the wind.

"Sakinah," Porom whispered to Kain. "That's her name. She can be difficult. Just unlock the door when you get up there, and we'll take over. She can really hate talking to others sometimes."

"And if she refuses to let me pass?"

"You do what you think is best."

Suddenly, that brunette's face seemed to be getting closer. How was that possible, unless...? It didn't take Kain very long to figure out what was going on. "There's no time," he said quickly, "Stand back!" His voice was stern, causing both Tiala and Porom to run back a few paces before he put his hand to the ground and jumped up in the air, fighting against gravity in a way only Dragoons could ever do.

Kain felt his long hair being whipped around again as he lifted his entire weight up along the castle wall. He extended his arms out to catch the falling woman, and even though she tried to avoid him, he eventually grabbed onto her dress to catch her anyway.

Only a minute after he jumped, and he was standing in the window space of the room at the top of the tower holding a girl he'd never seen before. He put her on her feet and headed straight for the door, but just as he thought she would, she stood in front of it and refused to let him unlock it.

"If you wish to leave," she said, her voice harsh and dry from the lack of drink, "then you will come whence you came."

"I have been told to unlock this door," Kain said, lunging for it again. "Sakinah the Skyreader, right?"

She nodded, but only slightly. She was nearly a foot shorter than he was. Her unclean robes hung off her body as if they were meant to fit someone twice her size. Looking at her face, he could tell that she'd been crying, and she probably would have kept on doing so if only she had the moisture in her body to form tears. "What do you care?" she asked.

"I care a great deal about the world I live in," Kain said. "Troia is well-known for providing the best harvests to its people and sharing the resources when other nations need the help." He decided not to take the strict approach that his father took with him when he was a child, as it did nothing but make emotional matters even worse than they were before. "Sakinah-"

"Stop. Please. Just go away." Sakinah said, falling back against the door. She leaned on it with all of her weight, sliding against it so her butt hit the floor. "Thank you for-"

Kain shook his head as he sat down right in front of her. "You give me your thanks, but still plan to throw yourself out the window? Is that the right way to repay someone who saved your life?" he asked.

"Do you want money? Take my treasure chest's fill. I have no need for it."

"Then give it to someone who does," he retorted at her. "I make money in my work, but I don't let it accumulate past what I need, either. I have no need of money, either." Kain frowned. He tried to figure out why someone with such a vital role in anything want to take her life? He never even knew a Skyreader was a thing before less than half an hour ago, and here he was, sitting in front of one, somehow landed with the job of talking her out of not wanting to throw herself out of her window. "Truthfully, milady, I once felt the way you do right now. I wanted to die for what I had done, what I had been a part of."

"Why didn't you?"

"Because after spending seventeen years in seclusion, I realized that dying was not the way to atone for my previous transgressions," Kain answered honestly, scooting a little closer to her. "Whatever it was that you have done-"

Sakinah said as she put her head in her hands, "I failed Troia and all the farmers that relied on my readings. I was wrong. I couldn't see the storm or the Earthquake coming! The Earth Crystal blessed me with these powers, and I... I can't even bear to look at the sky..."

"I know nothing of how Skyreading works," Kain said. "There is no way for me to tell you if you were right or wrong. But what has happened has happened."

"Don't they blame me for what has happened to the village?" Sakinah asked worriedly. "Every other time I was able to warn them, and the mages would protect the villagers in turn."

"Sakinah, I was called here with my men to help rebuild what the Earthquake wrought to the village," Kain started to explain. "Even if- Even if they do blame you for what happened..." He closed his eyes for a moment, remembering when even in his own traveling party Ninja Prince Edge had given him a glare of death for being a part of Golbez's schemes. Kain still felt that piercing stare at times, but right now he wanted to use it as motivation to better himself and the world. "...if you feel like you have blame in this, then you must do what you can to make it up to those you have failed."

At that moment, Kain remembered his quest to see Prince Ceodore home when his father had become brainwashed and Rosa was missing. He knew the child belonged to that of his closest friends, and that is why he did all he could to keep the young prince safe.

"I feel as if I can't help anyone. I have no other skill than Skyreading."

Kain extended his hand to her. "Come with me, then. Away from Troia, where I can show you the world that you have such an impact on." He tried to smile at her, to encourage her to accep his deal.

"...you won't... abandon me?"

"It is foolish to abandon someone as vital as you are to the world, Sakinah." Kain watched her hand tremble as she reached to put it right in his own hand. When he felt her skin against his, he nodded. "There. Now. You will unlock this door, and we are going to explain to the Epopt Council your feelings. When they give their blessing for you to travel, then you will come with me. All right?"

"...all... all right."

"Let me unlock the door, please."

"One thing first," she said. "You never told me your name."

Kain paused for a split second, wondering how he got through all of that without introducing himself. "My name is Kain Highwind, and I'm a Holy Dragoon."

"I'm Sakinah Skylar. I'm the Royal Skyreader. Kain?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you. For. Saving my life."

"You're welcome." Not letting go of her hand, he reached for the key in the door, and she moved out of the way to let it open. There were two of the eight Epopts along with others from Troia standing right there, staring right at them, waiting for something. He held her hand even during that, which gave her confidence. "Sakinah is safe," he told them. "I wish to speak to the Epopt Council as soon as possible." 


	3. Chapter 3

Don't Fall, part 3

FIC START!

Standing there in front of Sakinah's door, both she and Kain watched everyone in the hallway descend the stairs, leading them out of the tower. Everyone except Lady Tiala, who reached for Sakinah's hand with hers. The older woman looked directly into Sakinah's eyes, as if to scold her for even needing help at all.

The Skyreader gripped onto Kain's hand instead as she looked down at the floor. She felt nothing but shame, which Sakinah figured was exactly what Tiala wanted. Why did the Epopt have to stare at her like that? Sakinah was depressed enough without that added bit. She refused to give Tiala any recognition.

"Young man," Tiala said gently, "Thank you for saving our Skyreader."

Kain nodded, looking over at Sakinah. "Do you have the strength to walk on your own?" he asked kindly.

Sakinah shook her head without answering.

"Then do not let go of my hand. I'd rather not have to catch you again so soon," he added. "My lady, if I may, I will lead Sakinah. I know you are worried, but... there is more at work here than you are aware of." He felt Sakinah tremble, and even flinch back in the direction of the door right behind them. She was holding back all kinds of emotional outburts, and he let her grip his hand as hard as she needed to stay standing strong. "It takes courage to step out here like this when she aches as much as she does right now, Lady Tiala. Let her come at her own pace."

Tiala nodded in agreement. "Let us eat our supper for now, and we will talk when you are able to handle it better, Sakinah. Everyone in Troia has been worried about you..."

Sakinah whispered, "I... I can't see everyone right now."

"There is nothing to worry about," Tiala whispered to her in return. "All that matters is that you're still alive." She turned to descend the stairs, following all who left just moments before.

Kain took a step, and he felt Sakinah resist moving forward. "Come now," he said. "I cannot say you will not hurt, but you must move forward if you wish to heal. I will not let them shame you."

"I have known you less than an hour of my life, Kain. Why should I trust you?" Sakinah asked, pulling her hand away. "I was foolish to take your hand like that." She turned around, but before she could grab the doorknob to her room, he extended his arm to catch her waist. "Let me be. I can't do this."

"That may be so, but you will still do it regardless," Kain said, picking her up into his arms. "If your feet cannot carry you, then mine will."

Again, her face made that sad expression that would have produced tears if she only had the moisture in her body to allow for it. "Don't make me do this."

"I am not letting you waste away as I had," he said, taking his first few steps with her in his arms. "I must keep the promise I made to you." Kain held her close, and once she realized she wasn't going back into her room to hide, Sakinah leaned her head against his shoulder. "I will not leave you until you have found the spark you need to keep on living. Seclusion did not help me find my purpose."

"Kain?"

"Yes?"

They had reached the bottom of the tower that led into the main hall of Troia's castle, where Sakinah felt the eyes of everyone inside directly on her. "What purpose do you have in life?" she asked, trying not to give anyone the slightest chance to interrupt their conversation.

"I had no real purpose, but right now, I've decided that my purpose is going to be helping you find yours," Kain said, carrying her to the door that connected to the Epopt's Chamber and the Altar of the Earth crystal. "But since you are a part of the Royal Court here, you have to do things correctly. I could not leave my home without permission of the King."

"Must I see them?"

"Yes."

"I don't want to be here-"

"So let's take you out of here." Kain pushed the door open. And when Sakinah started to turn around, he stopped her and pushed her towards them. "I figured you were going to try that," he whispered in her ear. "Please. Don't be afraid. You know these people better than I do."

"Oh, Sir Kain! You've saved our Sakinah!" One of the Epopts said loudly. "May the Earth crystal bless you!"

"I am only doing what I believe is right," Kain said. "Because I once have felt exactly the way she does now. Depressed and ashamed. I have decided that I wish to help Sakinah."

Another of the Epopts stepped forward, approaching Sakinah. She placed a hand on Sakinah's face, stroking from her hairline down to her chin. "She is not herself. Her eyes seem devoid of light. Kain, how can you help her?" the Epopt asked. "We of the Eight Epopts rely much on Sakinah. We will do anything to see her be herself again."

"I fear I may have to take Sakinah with me outside of Troia," Kain said. "To let her see the world that she has helped because of her Skyreading ability."

"That is a good idea," Lady Tiala thought aloud. "Perhaps with a bit of learning, her heart will open anew."

The Epopt which caressed Sakinah's face, bent down to lock eyes with the obviously upset Skyreader. "Sakinah," she said, "You listened to this man after we banged on your door for over a week. You obviously trust him. The crystals and the moon together lead us all on paths we do not know to our destiny. You should go with Sir Kain to see the world, Sakinah."

"Lady Milala," Sakinah replied shakily. "I shouldn't trust someone I've known less than an hour, but... I feel as if Kain really does know the pain I feel. I am terrible at reading people, but this is not a reading. This... it's something deeper than that."

"Report to the Earth Crystal that you will be out of its embrace," Milala said. "And you two may go. As long as you change from your week old robes and eat before you go, of course."

Sakinah nodded. "I will. I humbly thank you all, Epopts of Troia." She bowed before them, actually glad that she let Kain drag her down from her room. "I hope I find my answers."

"We hope you do, too," Miala said, kissing Sakinah's cheek. "But what must be done to ensure you stay healthy must be done. You are blessed by the Earth crystal. Not many in the world can say that a crystal has blessed them directly."

Sakinah let go of Kain for the first time since he held onto her, and took a step on her own. "I will do as you bid. I will seek my answers." 


	4. Chapter 4

Don't Fall, part 4

FIC START!

Sakinah was able to go back to her room and change out of her week old smelly robes into something much more fitting for travel. She traded her usual silken slippers for heavy leather boots, and pulled her long, dark brown hair into a bun atop her head, which she then topped with a hat decorated with a Zu feather. She looked at herself in the mirror, wondering what in the hell she was even doing? Why would she follow someone so blindly?

As she stared into her own eyes, the day of her biggest failure seemed to reflect within them. How Sakinah fell to the floor as the ground rumbled angrily beneath the castle. Screams from both the village below and within the castle echoed from her memories into her concious mind, causing her to shudder in fear.

There was a knock at the door, breaking her trail through the past.

Sakinah opened it to find Lady Milala standing there. "Huh?" she asked curiously, cocking her head to the side. "Lady Milala? Is something the matter?"

"While you prepare for departure, Sir Kain is going to assist his men in town with finding the stone needed to make the repairs in the village. I came to tell you how proud we are that you have decided to solve your inner strife, Sakinah," Milala said. She hugged around the young lady tightly for a second. "The Epopts know that you are one of the only people to have been given a blessing from the crystal itself, but at the same time, you are as human as the rest of us."

"Lady Milala," Sakinah said quietly. "Why was I not able to forsee the earthquake? I had always been able to see everything since I last was with the crystal. I don't understand."

"Sakinah, I do not know what clouded your eyes from your usual sight, but you must seek it out," Milala replied as she leaned in and kissed lightly upon Sakinah's cheek. "Sir Kain has once been on this journey. He will know where to go."

"I'm sure he will," Sakinah said, forcing a smile. She turned to her desk, taking her favorite bag onto her shoulder. In it she carried only an empty book with a quill and a corked inkpot, as to document her discoveries along her upcoming journal. And, with that, she felt ready to go. There was only one thing left to do. Part of her was happy to be going, but another part of her only carried fear. "Even though I feel like I could fail again at any time."

"You are not perfect," Milala retorted at her. "You cannot hold yourself to standards only Gods could live up to."

Sakinah turned away from her room and tipped her feathered cap just a little to the right. "I have to do one more thing before I meet with him."

"Yes. Do be sure to pick up some provisions from the kitchen before you go. We Epopts have given the cooks to prepare things for your journey."

"Thank you, Lady Milala. You, and all the other Epopts, have always been taking care of me since I came here all those years ago. I promise to repay your kindness and generosity-"

"Child, you have helped us provide for all the world with your Skyreading. You have repaid our kindness. Carry no burden on you except your quest to answer your own questions. Troia has lived before you came to us. It will continue to live until you come home."

Milala stepped back to let Sakinah through the door, and the young Skyreader closed the door behind her as if closing the door on her past to struggle to move forward. She then took the key she kept in her dress pocket to the lock on the door. Before allowing herself any chance to turn away from what she set out to do, she put the key in her mentor's hand. "Keep this for me. When I have my answers, I will come back to face what remains here."

"Yes," Milala said, gripping the key between her old, wrinkly hands. "I will protect it as you go forward."

And then, Sakinah took to the stairs, not wanting to linger there any longer. She went down the staircase until she stood in the Great Hall of Troia. Many of the guards waved to her, knowing that she was to set out very soon. She waved in return, noticing that the people who populated the castle seemed to not care that she failed them enough to lead to so much of their country being destroyed. Or, perhaps it was that they wanted her to leave. Maybe they were happy to see her go? Perhaps they hoped she would get her punishment away from their land, saving them from whatever wrath was intended for her. Sakinah did not blame anyone for feeling this way. She knew that if her death would undo the damage, she would die willingly.

One guard opened the door to the Chamber of the Crystal for her as she passed him. She didn't even have to ask.

Once inside, the altar stood there as strong and proud as it had since she came to Troia during her childhood. The light was dimmer than usual, however. Sakinah approached the altar silently until she stood right before it, staring directly into the gentle light of the magical rock hovering right above the altar.

"Earth crystal," Sakinah said finally. "I come to inform you that I will be leaving Troia very soon. I am to quest to know the answers to my questions, ones that only I can find answers to. I failed you, and the power you bestowed upon me." She bowed her head, feeling her eyes burn with tears. "Sir Kain saved my life, as I flung myself from the tower just earlier today. I realize that taking my life, and the power you gave me, away from this world is a greater sin than I can atone for. I must have my answers, so I may better serve you when I return."

The crystal's glow intensified for a moment, and within it, Sakinah saw a place she had never been before. It was a mountain, taller than any other, wherein a grave marked by both the sun and the moon's light. And standing there at that grave was none other than Kain, with his hand extended as if to let Sakinah take hold of it.

"...Will I find my answers upon this mountain with him?" Sakinah asked. "Then it is where I will go. Earth crystal, you have given me so much. I wish to repay you in one form or another for watching over me as you have." She smiled, sniffling a few times. "But I will go. Thank you. Blessed be your light that shines upon all the world, Sacred Crystal."

Sakinah turned around to leave, when she noticed Kain was standing at the chamber door. When she left, he came with her, and the guard closed the door to the most sacred place in all of their country.

"We've retrieved the stone for my men to rebuild the village. Sakinah, I must pick up my apprentice from Fabul and deliver him home, but after that, I will see to your quest." Kain explained everything very smoothly. "Is that acceptible for you?"

"Yes," Sakinah replied. "The cooks of our kitchen have provisions ready for us. Take them, as the Epopts have ordered me to take them with us."

"All supplies are helpful," Kain said as they walked together to the main gate of the castle. "Once they are loaded, we can launch."

"Then, let's do it before I cower in fear and change my mind."

"I will not allow you to change your mind."

"Why not?"

"Because, Sakinah, I will not let you suffer the way I did. Even if it is against your will."

She looked up at him for a moment, appreciating his honesty. "Kain. Thank you."

"...it is I who must thank you." 


	5. Chapter 5

Don't Fall, part 5

FIC START!

Kain instructed the Red Wing soldiers after he loaded all the stone the villagers said they would need to help rebuild. He would return to Troia after attending to errands abroad, and by the time it was all done, he expected to see the work taken care of.

As he was doing that, Sakinah and the soldiers of Troia loaded the airship with provisions. Lady Milala gave Sakinah another embrace, and the pair was finally ready to set off.

Kain started up the airship by pressing the ignition next to the wheel on the control deck. He knew how to steer, though it had been a while since he'd done it. He remembered how both he and Cecil had many lessons with Cid the Engineer back in Baron. Even though Cecil was more of a natural at it. "Sakinah," Kain said, placing his free hand on her shoulder. "You have never been on an airship, have you?"

Sakinah stood on the deck not far from him, looking at all the propellers above. When the motor rumbled in the back, she felt the whole ship vibrate. It reminded her of the earthquake, and she was ready to jump off and get right back on solid ground that very instant. "Airships are not common in Troia. If we have to fly, we rely on the black chocobos."

"But what if your people must retrieve the stone from the magnet cave?" Kain asked.

"We have ships, and chocobo carts to pull heavy things from the port," Sakinah replied, struggling to keep her balance. She pulled away from Kain for a few seconds. She wanted to stand on her own, without any assistance. When she started to fall over, he grabbed onto her arm and helped her stay steady.

"Do not be so stubborn," Kain said bluntly. "Once we are fully aloft, I cannot hold you up. I will need to steer with all my attention." He felt that sensation he always did when riding an airship launching. The entire craft used all of its might to rise against the gravitational pull of the earth below until it was parallel to the ground. "Sakinah, if you have a hard time standing, then sit. It will take a few times to get used to the sensation of takeoff."

Sakinah didn't want to sit. She was soon over by the edge of the ship, hugging onto the walls of the hull, watching as the clouds passed by the airship. Her feathered cap blew off in the wind, exposing her brown bun atop her head. Her skirt ruffled in all of the wind. Suddenly, she was overwhelmed with excitement to be up in the sky!

"I am a Skyreader!" she exclaimed as she stuck her hand out over the edge of the hull. The adrenaline rush kept her on her feet, not even noticing the rumbling from the engine. "This is nothing like the observatory or my tower. Kain, this is something else."

"Is it?" Kain asked. He had spent most his life aflight, either on the backs of dragons or on airships, as they were invented in his hometown, and his father a close friend with their inventor. "You must not fall, Sakinah. I cannot save you again."

"You cannot jump this high?"

"If I needed to, I could, but as of right now, I cannot leave the steering wheel."

"If I wished to fall, this would be the opportune time, then." Sakinah said, looking back at him. She let her whole body take in the exilerating rush. She took a moment to let everything sink in. "Never would have imagined that if I had this opportunity that I wouldn't take it."

"It is a day's flight to Fabul, where I must see to my apprentice, Ceodore." Kain explained. "If you wish to rest, please go below deck. You may use my quarters."

"Won't you need your room?" She took a step to him, but soon his eyes were more distant than she had seen them since she met him. "Kain?"

"Sakinah."

"Perhaps we should not have left as soon as we did. Neither you or I have slept, and it's no doubt been a tax on you just as much as it has been on me." Sakinah said as she walked up to him. She put her hands around his right arm, holding on to him for a moment. "As much as I would like to observe the sky from here, I realize you're right. I would like to rest."

"I know for a fact that King Yang will certainly give us a place to rest," Kain said, putting his left hand on her head while his right hand stayed on the wheel. "If I recall, Princess Ursula will demand another day at the very least before I bring Ceodore back home to his parents." He noticed that she was smiling, but she was ready to cry. "Did I-"

"No, Kain." Sakinah's eyes overflowed with tears as she hugged him tighter. "I... when you mentioned your apprentice's parents, I... suddenly remembered my family, what little of it there was."

"You are an orphan, are you not?" Kain asked.

"I was being raised by my father, a white mage, in the town where I was born. Mysidia."

"You are Mysidian?"

"By birth, yes." Sakinah continued. She took in a deep breath. "There was a surprise attack one day by Baron's Red Wings. My father and I were in the prayer hall, and the Elder was telling me about studying the path that my father followed... when... the door of the prayer hall was blown off the hinges by a cannon, and in walked a dark knight." She shook her head. "My father told me to run, and I started to, but I didn't get far. One of the men that followed that knight grabbed me and screamed at the Elder 'this child will whet my blade if you continue your insurgence!' Inside the chamber, my father finally mounted a resistance when I was allowed to go away. Other mages tried to help him, but..."

"The Dark Knight slew all of the mages in the hall of the crystal, and the Water crystal was stolen," Kain continued, shuddering in sadness just as much as she was. "Sakinah."

"The Elder put me on a ship to Troia, as in Mysidia, orphans that are not a part of either school of magic are sent away. Girls to Troia, boys to Fabul. And there, I was all alone. I had no purpose. I had nothing until I prayed to the Earth Crystal for some sort of answer... and it came." Sakinah finished her story and wiped her face. "I became the Skyreader of Troia, an annointed person of the court, and... I thought that was the end. I never looked for more. I never wanted more."

"You must rest. Sakinah, for the good of your body and your heart, go rest now. Nothing will harm you as long as... I'm here."

She let go of him then and looked for the staircase that lead inside the ship, and there was a room full of beds right there. Instead of going further, she sat on one of the beds. She required no comfort. Sakinah fell asleep after rolling over exactly twice.

"Cecil, the echoes of your actions ring even now, all these years later," Kain whispered into the wind as he watched over the mast of the airship. "I... wonder if she even realizes that she now rides in one of the Red Wing vessels? Probably not. I don't think I could bear telling her that I am the current captain, either." 


	6. Chapter 6

Don't Fall, part 6

FIC START!

Sakinah was a reasonably deep sleeper most all her life. But suddenly, a large rumble woke her right out of that peaceful slumber. She wondered how the hell was there something like an earthquake beneath her? Weren't they flying?! She rubbed her eyes before heading up the stairs to stand on deck.

Kain was at the controls, but was frustrated in his inability to control the ship alone. "Get below deck," he commanded. "A storm has caught us in its maw."

Sakinah started to obey, but when the wind picked up again, she stood her ground. "Let me help you," she pleaded. She ran to his side, looking at the clouds around the ship. "This is not natural. Clouds do not create funnels around ships like this." Somehow, this did not seem right.

"You have never flown," Kain said quietly, reminding her of what she had said before.

"You have not studied the sky as I have," Sakinah retorted. "Only magic will summon a storm around something like this." She then took in a deep breath and walked towards the front mast. Her eyes never once left the clouds. There was only one hole in the formation, and considering the stress of controlling the airship, Sakinah doubted that Kain could take his eyes to the sky to even look to see there was a way out. Her voice suddenly became stern, full of force unnatural to her. "Steer to the southwest!"

Not knowing what else to do, Kain did as she directed.

"The clouds are not solid," she said. "I can see where they are the weakest."

"We are being blown off course," Kain shouted. "We will not make Fabul at this rate."

"I don't care if we land in Fabul or not," Sakinah replied at full volume. "What matters is that we make it out of this storm in one piece." She then added "Hold the current course. I see clear skies, if only we can get there." She kept darting her vision across the various clouds that ensnared the airship until a bolt of lightning suddenly struck the ship causing a fire to erupt immediately. It knocked her completely off her feet.

"Sakinah!" Kain shouted, finally letting go of the steering wheel to run over and catch her from falling into the fire. He pulled her close and headed back to the wheel to keep the airship from nosediving into the earth below. "Do not leave my side!"

"Kain..."

There was no way to save the airship at this point. Going below deck only put them at greater risk of death, so Kain used all his strength to hold them where they stood. At the crack of dawn the day after they had met, they had crashed straight into desert sands. The ship was mostly one piece, even if on fire. Kain thanked the Heavens that they did not crash in a forest, as that fire would have spread further. Once they started working together to put out the fire, it was not able to take the beds or much of the supplies below.

"There is no way to know exactly where we are until there is more light," Kain said quietly. He had prepared a small fire in the sand with wood pieces that had splintered off of the ship.

Sakinah sat right next to him, the desert night air having hit her hard. She never had been in a desert before. "I don't mind." She was munching on a piece of jerky she pulled from the supplies. "I've never been out this far before."

"If I am right, this is Damcyan territory," Kain said quietly. "King Edward will most likely send a troop to investigate what happened. He takes all manners in his kingdom seriously."

"When he asks, exactly what do we tell him?" Sakinah asked. "A funnel cloud swallowed up our airship and practically tried to engulf it as if it were hungry for it?"

"Edward fought with all of us during the War of the Crystals. He fought again when the moon came upon our heads. He knows just as well as I do that anything is possible here in our world," Kain said, stoking the fire to make it bigger. "So, rest for now."

"I was sleeping soundly until I felt the storm rumble the ship as if it had been hit by an earthquake," Sakinah explained. "And I had to... I had to do what I could to help you."

Kain cracked a smile, even though she did not see it. "You know that if you had not come on deck when you did, we would have died."

She crossed her arms. "What use is there in me dying, after you caught me? If I can't kill myself, then nothing can."

"And you are not allowed to take your life, Sakinah Skylar."

"Not as long as you're by my side, anyway, Kain Highwind."

She offered him a piece of the dried meat, and he took it. They laughed softly together until Sakinah slumped over onto his shoulder and fell asleep again. He pulled his shoulder back just a bit, and she slid into his lap instead. He never had anyone lay on him like this before. He remembered seeing Cecil holding Rosa like this several times. And no matter how he longed for that chance, it never came. Sakinah smiled in her sleep as she laid upon his lap, her face lit by the calm glow of the fire.

What was this warmth growing in his heart that he never felt before? It was different than the feeling he carried for Rosa for years until it ripped him asunder.

"I'll have to send word to Baron," Kain whispered to himself, not expecting a single answer. "I've kept Ceodore away too long. I'll be scolded by the Queen."

But he didn't mind. Being a knight of Baron wasn't the first thing on his mind anymore. 


	7. Chapter 7

Don't Fall, part 7

FIC START!

Sakinah felt her shoulder being shaken a few times before she jolted awake. "Huh?" she asked, sitting up in a sudden jolt.

Kain's voice helped her find her bearings a little better. "Forgive me, Sakinah, but I must wake you. We have company," he said quietly. He helped her come to her feet, and she brushed the desert sand from her skirt and coat. The sun had come up since she fell asleep, and now it was extremely hot.

But there was no time to think about that. Men wearing an emblem of fire across their breastplates stood around them, staring at the wreckage and at the two travelers with not just curiosity, but some sort of judgement Sakinah could not justify.

"We come on behalf of King Edward of Damcyan to investigate this crash. Please state your name and origin," the man in charge of the soldiers staring them down.

Sakinah said, "I am Sakinah Skylar, Skyreader of Troia."

Kain closed his eyes for a moment. He knew this was coming ever since she told him about having survived Mysidia, but there was no way he could get out of this without being honest about his position. "I am Kain Highwind, First Dragoon of Baron and Captain of the Red Wings."

"Cap...tain?" Sakinah asked in disbelief. "Of... the... Red Wings?" Suddenly she was overcome a with rage and sadness that was almost too much to bear, even for their situation. How could the man that saved her life, the man that protected her, be a part of the military organization that destroyed her life?

"Can we discuss this privately, please?" Kain asked. "I know you have questions, but now is not the time."

She swallowed her rage better than either of them thought they would.

"Kain of Baron?" one man asked. "My brother is a Red Wing recruit! He wrote to tell me he'd be stationed in Troia for a while, so he was gonna miss my son's birthday this year."

Kain nodded. "Ahh, yes. Jurin told me once he was sad about having to be away from home so long, but that is the nature of the military. So, you come for King Edward then?"

"Aye," another replied. "He saw something crash, and... he feared it would be another meteorite..."

"The circumstances of the crash were unusual as well," Kain said, crossing his arms the way he always had when speaking seriously. "Will you be taking us to Damcyan castle, then? We will be more than happy to give you what supplies we have salvaged, as there is more food than we can carry. I would discuss the crash with King Edward so he can rest assured."

"No need to take you that far. You can find him in Kaipo today. Just head north and you'll find it."

Sakinah looked around, feeling how different the climate was as opposed to in the moist forested area around Troia. Here, sand was brushed around by the wind, and above not a single cloud stood in the way of the sun's harsh light falling upon the world below. She felt it hard to move her feet without falling into the sand just a bit.

The conversation with Damcyan's guards took what felt like forever to Sakinah. When it was over and things seemed to be peaceful, Kain faced forth and motioned for her to follow. She didn't want to go with him now! After walking a bit, and when they figured they were out of earshot from anyone else, Kain finally broke their silence.

"Before we step foot in Kaipo, you will ask your questions," he said. "I will answer every one of them honestly, but I will not have this come up again in the middle of more important affairs."

"Kain, you're really the captain of the Red Wings? You weren't lying about that?"

"I am."

She shook her head. "Then why did you steal the crystal from Mysidia-"

"I did not do that. There were two captains before I took this position. The one that stole the Water Crystal was a dark knight. I have been a dragoon my whole life." Kain explained. "I was only given this rank because my friends believed that having a rank would give me purpose, and having purpose meant I would not hide away for the rest of my life." He stopped walking before he noticed that Sakinah had stopped following him.

Her breaths were heavier as she spoke now. "The dark knight that let my father be slain. Does he still live?"

"Do not let yourself be consumed with thoughts of revenge, Sakinah. That dark knight is no longer with us," Kain said. "Your father would never wish of you to focus only on finding who killed him."

"Kain, I-"

"What is it, Sakinah?"

Sakinah blinked her eyes a few times. She found it hard to concentrate on anything. One foot in front of the other seemed damn near impossible. "I want to go home," she whispered before feeling all sensations in her body fade away. She staggered mid step, and Kain stepped closer to let her fall on him. "Suddenly, everything hurts."

Kain immediately noticed she was feverish. "...you have the Desert Fever," he said sternly. "This is bad. Good thing Edward is in Kaipo, as he has helped Cecil cure this exact same sickness before." He picked her up into his arms. "Hold on." He picked her up into his arms and tried to run, though the loose sand dunes made it damn near impossible.

It felt as if Kain had been walking for days before he found the cobblestone street of the town called the Desert Oasis around the world. He was dizzy, but he held up Sakinah with every ounce of strength he had.

"Oi there," a man said, running from inside the town. "All these years, and no one thinks to travel proper in these parts?"

"Do not shame me," Kain growled at the stranger. "My companion. She has taken the Desert Fever. I have been told King Edward of Damcyan is here now. I must see him."

The man nodded. "Help!" he shouted, calling over more of the townsfolk. "The lady has Desert Fever, and the knight says he has to speak with King Edward!"

Sakinah was taken from Kain's arms over to the inn, and the king who disguised himself as a bard even though the world was well aware of his disguise, filtered through the crowd.

Edward leaned down only to immediately recognize Kain. "Kain?! What happened?!"

"The girl traveling with me is from Troia. She has taken Desert Fever." Kain said before falling to his knees. "Our airship was attacked in the middle of the night-"

"Kain, that's enough. You have reached safety, there is no reason to feel so pressured." Edward said. He turned to the townspeople, revealing the man he had grown into over the adventures he'd been through previously. "Take him to the inn, too. I will pay for their beds."

"No..." Kain said when the men tried to carry him off. "...I need the Sand Ruby. Rest will come later."

Edward crossed his arms. "You can't save anyone in your condition. Stop being so stubborn. Here, I will help you." He reached down to help Kain to his feet. "Don't worry. Desert Fever is a common ailment here, and we have what we need on hand to cure it. After what happened with Rosa and Harley, it only made sense! She will be fine in a day or two." Kain leaned on Edward for a second. "Come in, we'll talk everything over, my friend."

"Will you send a letter to Baron?" Kain asked.

"Of course. Anything you need." 


	8. Chapter 8

Don't Fall, part 8

FIC START!

Sakinah didn't remember climbing into a bed. She opened her eyes to see she was lying between the sheets of a feather bed, her pillow stuffed with goosefeathers and the room smelling of a warm food being baked somewhere nearby. She rolled onto her left side, wondering where Kain was. The last thing she remembered was falling against him, and feeling his strength support her body when it was weak. Before that, they had discussed the fact that Kain was the captain of the Red Wings. Soon that whole coversation replayed in her mind, making her cling tigher to the light blanket which had been draped over her in her sleep. However, it didn't take long for that to be interrupted. On the other side of the wall, there was a conversation going.

"You're saying that you were attacked?"

Sakinah heard a door close, as if someone had just gone into the room next door.

"Clouds do not make that sort of formation naturally. I am convinced that it was magic." Kain's voice said in reply. Hearing that, she realized that Kain believed her when she said that exact same thing! It made her happy to have that confirmation.

"Mmm. Well. While you were resting, I sent a message to Baron. Cecil and Rosa will have no need to worry once they have word that everything is all right."

"Thank you, Edward."

"Anything for a friend."

"How is Sakinah?" She blushed upon hearing that. He asked about how she was? He cared about her well being.

"We have treated her with the Sand Ruby, and her symptoms have decreased since. She's still just as abed as you are."

She sat up, looking around the room she was in. Sakinah could tell she was still in the desert, but being in the building kept her from being overwhelmed by the heat.

"Kain," Edward's voice changed in tone suddenly. "I never thought you would ever find someone to share in your adventures like this. Cecil once said you would be alone your entire life. I must say I am very happy for you."

"I am escorting Sakinah on her quest. I do not know if she wishes to remain my companion after her quest is fulfilled, or if she would want to return to Troia," Kain explained quietly. "If she wishes to go home, I cannot force her-"

"You could just ask her how she feels about you." Edward's suggestion was simple, and it only made Sakinah pull the blanket over her head. She didn't want anyone to come in to see that expression of embarrassment. But, he was right. Kain could just approach her. She would rather he do that than not say anything at all.

"She was still distraught over the fact that I am the captain of the Red Wings the last she and I spoke."

"Why would that matter?"

"Sakinah is Mysidian born. Her father tried to protect the water crystal the day Cecil led the seige. He was slain before her eyes."

"And she was sent to Troia because she was an orphan," Edward continued. "Hmm. That had nothing to do with you. Cecil and Rosa gave you the Red Wings only because they wanted..."

Based on hearing that, Sakinah concluded right then that Kain lied to her. Her heart ached upon the realization. Cecil was the name of the dark knight that led the attack on her home and slew her father, and he was alive!?

"Because they didn't want me going back up to Mt. Ordeals for the rest of my life. I know."

"Because they felt as if you needed it, Kain."

"Perhaps I did. I still do not wish to return to Baron, but I must see Ceodore home. By now he must have wondered what has happened to keep me so long. Once I have, I can help Sakinah complete what it is she must do."

"What exactly is it that Sakinah must do?"

Sakinah sighed. What would Kain tell his old friend about her?

"Sakinah has set out to find her answers to questions that no one can answer. She has been caught within the deepest fog of depression, and I-"

"You have once been there. This is why you accompany her."

"It is. She threw herself from a tower of the Castle of Troia, and I caught her. I listened to her when she refused to speak to anyone else, and I told her that I would never allow this darkness to take her when she is so valuable to Troia and the rest of the world," Kain said. "I will not stand by and watch her be eaten alive the way it did me."

"...not many would take the chance."

"I don't care. Edward, I... I've..."

Sakinah felt her heart pound louder than it ever had. What was this?! She was nervous, practically shaking to hear what Kain had to say past that.

"You need not say it. I can tell by how you speak of Sakinah. You feel as I did about Anna. How Cecil always has for Rosa. You will fight at her side as long as she will have you, won't you, Kain?"

"As long as she will have me... I would be her shield from all that would threaten her. Be it man, disease, or otherworldly evil, I care not."

Sakinah felt her eyes burn with tears. How could he say that? How could someone like him... fall in love with her?! She hiccuped a few times, and to keep from being heard, she reached for the pillow and cried into it. Kain would do that for her?! Kain would stand at HER side? It didn't feel real at all! Still even if it wasn't real, she had never been more happy to overhear any coversation in her life.

Suddenly, there was a knock at her door. "Miss? Are you awake?"

She did her best to wipe her eyes. "I'm awake. You can come in."

The door opened and Edward approached her, reaching to touch her forehead. "Your fever has faded completely, Lady Sakinah, but your face is redder than my hat. Are you all right?" he asked.

"Oh, yes, I... guess I have been dreaming..." she said quietly. 


	9. Chapter 9

Don't Fall, part 9

FIC START!

Edward may have been a king, but the man was as kind and gentle as anyone else could have been. If Sakinah did not know he was royalty, she never would have guessed by the way he was willing to help her recover from the sudden onset of Desert Fever. He offered to help her stand the first time she climbed out of bed. Even though she didn't feel dizzy at first, when she tried, it was harder than she expected.

"I hear you are the Skyreader of Troia," Edward said as he helped her stand at her feet. He held on to her until he noticed that she was able to handle her own weight.

"It's true," she replied. "Kain says that my ability helps the fields grow better, and thus Troia can help feed kingdoms that are unable to grow crops."

"He is absolutely right. My kingdom is a desert, as you have probably noticed by now," Edward started out of the room. "Come, Lady Sakinah."

"Your Majesty, you need not call me that. Just Sakinah is okay."

"Then you will not address me by title, either," Edward retorted right back at her, smiling. He held the door for her as a true gentleman would do, and he sat her at a table. "I am not letting you leave here without something to eat. Both of you."

Kain approached Sakinah from behind before sitting at the table. "That is kind of you, but-"

"I will not have you passing out in the desert again because of hunger." Edward said, crossing his arms. "All right, innkeeper, we'll have lunch now." Plates of sliced up melon and dried dates, bowls of nuts and berries, and a sunbaked jackrabbit were delivered to the table. "Food of the desert may not be as flowery as what you are used to eating, Sakinah, but it will keep you alive here in the harsh conditions."

"We did not eat much other than what grows in the fields back in Troia. Many there refuse to eat meat at all," Sakinah said. "So they relied on me more than any hunters. The forests there are full of animals, and I have no idea why they couldn't eat those, too. In Mysidia, they eat both plants and animals." She loved the melon the most of everything she ate. It was the most moist thing offered. Her portion of the rabbit meat was tiny in comparison to what both Edward and Kain had on their plates.

Kain ate most of the rabbit and did not touch much of the fruit. A single date, one slice of melon. "In Baron, our people eat more meat than anything else. Fruits and vegetables are not exactly served as main dishes, but only alongside the main meat dish."

"If that's the case, then why does the rest of the world rely on Troia so much to help keeping everyone fed?" Sakinah wondered aloud.

"There are not always animals to be hunted and in places like Mysidia, not every crop can grow." Kain said quietly. "They will migrate with the passing seasons. Winter especially is hard in many places. The earth crystal provided Troia with a land that can grow almost every kind of food people need to survive."

Edward nodded in agreement. "Because of this, all of us around the world do need you, Sakinah."

She looked at the plate in front of her instead of at them. Of course they wanted to keep her spirits up. "Thank you, both of you."

"Have I upset you?" Edward asked. "Forgive me, I did not mean-"

"No, you have not upset me. Thank you for caring, Edward," Sakinah replied. "Still. We can't stay here forever. Do you have a plan for how to reach Fabul?"

"Yes." Kain said, using a napkin to wipe his face and hands. "Edward will take us with him on his hovercraft to Damcyan, and we will use it to reach Mt. Hobs past that. From there, it is only a three day hike to Fabul. We're more lucky to have landed here than I originally thought." He smiled very gently to her, and she only stared at him. He had a hard time figuring out if she was happy, sad, or not feeling anything at all. "And King Yang will give us a ship to Baron, as he has no airships."

"How long was I out for?" she asked.

"You passed out in my arms before we even reached Kaipo," Kain answered her, his volume having decreased more suddenly than she expected. "And I have had a hard time keeping up with time passing while being in here. Apparently, I was coming down with it, too."

"You both slept for two days straight through," Edward stated plainly. "I had to send a letter to the castle to keep Harley from wondering where I had gone for so long. I only came to play my harp at family graves here in Kaipo, as I do every year at this time. I am sure she understands by now." He laughed at himself, but only briefly. "Once you feel you have the strength, we will depart for my castle. I can let you stay there as long as you need."

"I feel rested enough all ready," Sakinah said before letting out a tiny burp. She sure did love the melon, as she kept taking pieces of it. "Excuse me, I didn't mean to do that."

Edward cocked his head to the side. "Do they not burp in Troia?"

Kain shrugged. "I've never seen them eat."

A few hours later, Kain, Edward, and Sakinah climbed into the hovercraft as Edward steered it to the shoals along the western side of the Kaipo desert. From there, they headed north along the shoals until finding another desert but with a large castle within view from the coast. They didn't talk much, allowing each of them to lose themselves in their thoughts along the ride that took about five hours total. The hovercraft was an interesting machine, but Sakinah didn't bother to really take the time to examine it much. She liked it better than the airship she rode before, though, as it was much closer to the ground. Watching the mostly clear skies above, she let herself relax during the ride. Part of her heart wanted to stay on this quest to reach her answers forever. Her curly hair flipped around in the wind, and she felt free.

Kain looked over at her once, and he found her with a tiny smile, as if everything was right with the world for just that one moment. He reached to put his hand on hers, and when their eyes met, they didn't need to say anything. There was understanding between them. Sakinah smiled wider when he touched her. She saw all the peace within his lovely blue eyes and wished she could fall into it. Even though Edward told her how much she was needed, how important her abilities were to the world, she still... she still felt useless.

"Kain."

"Sakinah."

"How many times are you going to save my life?"

"As many as I must, my lady."

"I know I've thanked you so many times..."

"You need not use your words to thank me. Instead, just smile the way you had been. Enjoy life. That is all the thanks I need for saving you." 


	10. Chapter 10

Don't Fall, part 10

FIC START!

Edward parked the hovercraft right outside Damcyan castle. He advised Kain and Sakinah to come inside, as he knew the winds would pick up soon and there would be a dust storm. Not knowing much about the desert, both travelers agreed with the king and decided it would be best to wait it out.

Once the trio were inside, Edward demanded that the gates be shut and that until he gave the order, no one was to leave or enter the castle. Kain figured this was for the safety of young ones that knew not the ways of the desert weather and he did not say a word. It was only a few moments later when the Royal Secretary, Harley, approached Edward with a bow and a letter in her hands.

"Your Highness," Harley said, "We have word from Baron and Fabul. Your friends need not worry. Cecil and Yang are both aware of the situation, and according to Yang's letter, Ceodore doesn't really want to leave anyway." She handed it to him and proceeded to introduce herself to Kain and Sakinah. "Excuse me. My name is Harley. I am King Edward's assistant."

Sakinah nodded. "I'm Sakinah. I'm from Troia."

Harley nodded. "His Highness tells me that you are the Skyreader."

She nodded again. "That's right."

The secretary pushed up her glasses. "After being struck with desert fever, you must be tired. We have a guest room for you, if you'll come with me. Dinner is in a few hours."

"How long is the storm supposed to last?" Kain asked. "I would prefer not to wait longer than I absolutely must."

"Storm?" Harley cocked up an eyebrow. "What are you talking about-"

Edward put up his hand as if to take command of the conversation, and that caught her attention.

Harley said not another word. With that, she immediately turned around and left. Her obedience was swift, with no backtalk. She was a woman that valued her position.

The king shook his head, shrugging about the whole situation. "You'll have to forgive me, both of you. I'm worried about you. Especially you, Sakinah."

"Worried?" she repeated it, even though all it did was make her more frustrated. "Why are you worried about me?"

"I once loved someone very much like you, Sakinah. She was dragged into a battle she was not ready for, and when she tried to take a blow meant for me, it cost her the ultimate price." Edward said as he put a hand on Sakinah's shoulder. Tears fell down his face, one after another, as he looked right into her eyes for the very first time. "You are special, but that will not exempt you from any evil that may come your way. I thought I could protect her, and I tried, but she wanted to be heroic and protect me. Kain is but one man, and even if he will look after you with all the viligence in his body, he may not be able to save you." He then looked at Kain. "This is nothing personal against you. I know of your skill with your lance. However, right now the only weapon Sakinah has to her name is her love. And in this world that is not a proper weapon to protect anyone with."

Kain turned away for a moment. He didn't want either of them to see his reaction, but upon hearing that and remembering all about Edward's history during the War of the Crystals, his expression had also turned to one of dread. "You refuse to let us on Mt. Hobs to make way for Fabul because Sakinah is not armed?"

"That is exactly it," Edward said. "Because maybe if Anna could have taken a blow, maybe if she could have fought when Golbez came here, she might be with us now. She took blows meant for me, from angles I did not see until after the battle was over. Kain, you do not want this pain I carry every day of my life. I am doing this to protect you."

Kain didn't want to hear that. It was like Edward was blasting his feelings loud and clear all over the world when he put it like that. He wanted to tell Sakinah eventually about how he felt, not have her find out about it in some roundabout way. But he was right in the fact that she never held a weapon, and Mt. Hobs was a dangerous place full of monsters. And he was more than right about one man not being able to see everywhere a monster could attack from, at that. He let his eyes fixate again on Sakinah before she nodded in agreement.

"It's true that I've never held a weapon before," Sakinah said. "I've never needed to. I've spent most of my life in a castle." She hated being put on the spot like that, and for being the reason why they were being held back, but she understood it well enough. "This may well be a part of what I have to do to find my answers. Do you have an armory, Edward?"

"There is an armory in the castle, yes."

"Then I will find a weapon that I can lift, and I will take up arms if we need it," she said, trying to sound confident. "Though I have spent most of my life in a library, or an observatory. I can't imagine I'll be very strong."

"Not every weapon is about brute strength," Edward said with a laugh. He stepped away from them before snapping his fingers. "But not now. Harley mentioned dinnertime in a few hours. The castle is full of hustle and bustle until that is overwith. We'll have you rest, and when you are fed, I will take you to the armory. Training takes energy."

"She cannot spend years to train the way most of us knights have," Kain said. "We do not have this kind of time."

"If you teach her what took you years to learn, then she will not have to." The king retorted. "So. Harley, take our guests to rest for now."

"Yes, sir!"

Kain crossed his arms. "We don't have time-"

"Don't make me throw you in the dungeons to keep you here," Edward said as he kept walking on to his throne room. "Because if I must, I will. Sakinah will not see monsters until she can at least protect herself in case you cannot. I am doing this for your own good, Kain." 


	11. Chapter 11

Don't Fall, part 11

FIC START!

Harley pointed to a set of stairs nearby. "We're heading up this way. Follow me."

Sakinah looked down at the floor as Kain started to follow Harley begrudgingly. After a few moments, Kain stopped to see she hadn't moved. "Sakinah. Is there something?"

"Kain," she breathed out. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I'm so weak. I keep you from your own work because of it, and..."

"Don't apologize," Harley said abruptly before Kain could even reply. She stood next to the stairs. "I had never taken up a weapon until the True Moon tried to come down on our heads only a few cycle of the seasons ago. I was weak and weak-willed for the longest time until..."

"Until what?" Sakinah asked, taking a few steps closer to Harley.

"Until King Edward saved my life," Harley concluded. "That's when I understood everything I needed to understand. I mattered to someone. I had purpose in life. I had a companion worth having."

Sakinah smiled in response. It filled her with hope to hear that. She followed Harley at that point with no complaints. Kain followed behind her, even if he felt it was useless to wait longer than he absolutely had to. Harley led them up to a tower wherein one chamber was ready for them. She waited for them both to enter before closing the door quickly behind her.

"We'll come get you at dinnertime," Harley called through the door. "Rest up!"

Kain pressed against the door, noticing there was no way to open it. "...it's locked?!"

Sakinah blinked a few times, looking at him in utter confusion. "Why would she-"

"Edward, your tactics leave me speechless."

Sakinah turned to look at the room. It was decently decorated, but there was one thing she immediately noticed. "Uh oh."

"What?" Kain saw it, too. "Only one bed. We're expected to rest with the door locked and having only one bed. Guessing by Edward's tone, he isn't expecting us to sleep."

Blushing, Sakinah stammered as she tried to hide the fact that she wouldn't mind if he embraced her in such a way. "I... I do not mind resting on the floor."

"You are a lady. I could not rest if you were not comfortable. You will rest on the bed, and I will take the floor," Kain said sternly. That only sounded to her as if he wasn't even remotely interested at all in being so close.

"But I don't want you to be sore or anything."

"I've slept in rougher places than a castle floor," Kain said. "The bed is yours, my lady."

"But... but I am useless. It makes sense for you to have the bed."

He glared at her. "Sakinah. Use the bed. Do not try to convince me otherwise."

"It hardly seems fair."

"Would you not argue?"

"But... but, Kain."

"Sakinah." He pointed at the bed. "Go. Lay down. Take a nap while you can. There will be no safe place once we leave until we reach Fabul." When he looked at her again, she was all ready waiting for his eyes to meet with hers. They seemed sadder than usual. She seemed to want to tell him something, but she just wasn't able to say it, which left him wanting to give up on the whole damn thing. "What? What is it?"

She grabbed around his arm for a minute. Even though she'd never been this close to a person before, especially a man, she wouldn't mind if his hands took a quest of their own on her body. But how could she tell him that? She shook with fear instead of grasped onto him with affection and adoration. "I wish... I wish I knew how to tell you."

"You can tell me anything, my lady. I would never turn a deaf ear towards you."

Suddenly, it all fell out. She wasn't sure how or why, but while she was shaking, gripping around his arm, she blurted out, "I overheard you and Edward at the inn in Kaipo. I heard you both speaking of me. And what you said about me. What he said about it. And... all I could do the entire time was hide under the blanket and pretend I was asleep because... I couldn't believe you said what you did. And... and... if you..."

Kain shook his head and picked her up, carrying her to the bed. He sat her down on it and kneeled so he could look up at her for a change. "Sakinah. Even if I feel this way, I could not do anything to you if you did not wish it. I could not give you affection or hold you without you wanting that. I once loved someone that did not love me in return, and I could not give her what I wanted to give her as she did not want it from me." He sighed. "If you want my affection, I-"

Sakinah sniffled once before tears streamed down her cheeks. "Kain..."

"Sakinah, just tell me what you wish of me."

"Kain," she said his name again, soon sliding off of the bed and right onto the floor next to him. "Kain, please, I-"

He put his arms around her, pulling her close. She took in a few deep breaths, letting him give her all the support he could. Suddenly, before he could think of anything else, he nuzzled his face against hers for a few moments, and exactly when she turned to speak to him, he turned and let his lips land right onto hers. She fell limp against him, overwhelmed by how much she enjoyed the affection. It was her first kiss. It was the first time she ever felt anything like it. When he pulled away, she gripped him tighter than she did before.

"Sakinah," he whispered. "I love you." 


	12. Chapter 12

Don't Fall, part 12

FIC START!

"How could you feel that way after such a short time?" Sakinah whispered upon hearing Kain's confession. "We've barely set out, and..." She stopped, unable to find any more words to argue with him about it. She hated the fact that she felt the way he did. She hated the fact that she never wanted to go home to Troia, even if her work was important for the entire world. "I don't know anything more about myself than I did upon setting out."

"I must admit that feeling this way doesn't make sense to me, either," Kain said, frowning for just a second. "I grew up alongside my first love, and as confusing as it was, I figured it was simply the amount of time I spent with her that created that attachment. You, however. There is something different."

She shook her head. "What is different between me and your first love?"

"The fact that you need me means more than the fact that she was the most beautiful girl in Baron," Kain answered as he kissed her forehead. "To be honest, you and I, we walk a similar path. One that most people here in our world have no idea about. We share a connection, being of the same mindset." He pulled her close so that when she wanted to lie her head on his chest, she was able to.

"I don't want to go back to Troia."

"You don't want to return home?"

"It's not that. I like my room in the tower, and I love my observatory." She corrected him, but she didn't continue her thought aloud. Sakinah sighed. "But I fear being back in there, being back at work doing what I have been blessed to do, and... falling into that same trap I was in before. As much as I would love you to catch me every morning, it's not very likely to happen. You have work too. I'd hate to undo what you have worked so hard to save."

"Even if you must work in Troia, I will only be a letter away."

"Mmm. I guess you're right. But if you're the captain of the Red Wings, you'll be traveling a lot. I won't know where to send the letter."

"You'll send it to Baron."

"Can I write you every day?"

"If it doesn't get in the way of your responsibilities..."

They had a quiet moment, finally feeling comfortable with each other once they had taken the time to let those walls down. Kain smiled wider than he had in a very long time as he felt Sakinah's weight lean against him completely.

"Kain?"

"Yes?"

"Do you want to use the bed?"

"Only if you're on it with me. Otherwise, I'm staying right here on the floor." He held her tighter, squeezing around her hips. If she let him, he would put the bed to more use than just to lie on. Kain let her kiss his cheek. Everything felt right with the world for that short time.

Suddenly the sky outside the window rumbled loudly. Sakinah's attention immediately went to the window, breaking that perfect peace they shared. She picked herself up from sitting on his lap and walked over to the window which had swung open because of the wind.

"Kain," she said, her hair being brushed around by the harsh winds. She watched what she could see of the sky, but with it so dark, it was hard to see without the telescope in her obsevatory back in Troia. "I wish I could make out more of the sky... but..."

"Harsh winds are characteristic of the desert as there are frequent sandstorms. Do not let it bother you."

"It's hard not to." Sakinah closed the window, but the winds were so harsh it blew open again anyway. "It was a strange wind storm that landed us in Damcyan. If I could see more outside, maybe I could tell if this was a naturally occuring storm or not."

"Sakinah."

"I'm a Skyreader, Kain. I have to keep an eye on this."

Kain walked over to her, looking through the window, too. "Sakinah, you've nothing to worry about. Edward did say something about storms. It happens out here."

She turned to hug him. "Maybe you're right. I'm from a different climate, after all." She smiled up at him before squeezing him as tightly as she could. "Where were we?"

"I was about to-"

Thunder rumbled loudly, catching her attention again.

Kain frowned as he felt her slip away from him and back to the window. Sakinah gasped loudly when she stuck her head out to get a better look out in the distance. "What's wrong?"

"Part of the castle is on fire!" she exclaimed.

Kain looked back at the door. Sure, it was locked as a gesture of playfulness, but there was no way he was going to remain in this tower when there was a threat to the castle. "Then we're leaving," he said loudly, running at it with all of his strength focused into his shoulder. It cracked under his might, splitting open. He kicked the rest of it off, breaking the wood right off the hinges. "Sakinah. Come with me. We'll find Edward and see what's going on." She nodded, running out of the broken door first. He ran behind her, heading back to the main body of the castle. When they got there, they found Edward and Harley surrounded by monsters.

"Kain!" Edward shouted.

"Edward!" Kain rushed into the crowd of monsters, brandishing his spear and cutting into them with no effort at all. "What happened here?!"

"I have a guess as to what's going on, but we've no time to talk about it." Edward played a few notes on his harp and monsters put their hands over their ears to try to keep out the sound. Harley snapped her whip at them several times to keep them at bay, and Kain rushed to finish them off.

Sakinah watched them all, unsure of what to do. She had never fought before.

"The girl," a monster hissed in the crowd. "Ssshe is the one." It pointed at Sakinah before many monsters started to charge at her instead of at the other three.

"No!" Kain shouted. "Sakinah, run!" He pivoted on his left foot, turning around with one swift moment.

She wasn't sure of where to run, though. Her entire body seized up as they grew closer. She had never fought anything, she had never been the target of a monster's assault before.

Kain knew he wouldn't make it on foot, so he jumped instead. He landed right in front of her, his spear ready to fight of any and all who would approach either of them. "Stay behind me," he said. "Not one claw will touch you as long as I stand."

"Kain," she cried. "I'm scared."

"I cannot tell you to not be scared. But I can tell you that I will defend you."

The thunder outside only grew more intense. Magic flew about from all sides of the room, and all of the monsters were focused on Kain and Sakinah. Edward and Harley now tried to rush to their friends' aid, but they were cut off before they could get there.

"This doesn't look good," Edward said. "Here I thought they were after the crystal again..." He noticed that Harley had not given up yet. She whacked every monster that crossed her line of sight, but the castle was becoming so full of them that it was hard to see much of anything else. "Kain!"

"Edward, take Harley some place safe!" Kain shouted at him. "We will get out of this, I promise you!"

"I can't just leave you here. I could never forgive myself!"

"You have to look after your lady the way I must look after my own," Kain shouted. "Go on!"

Edward gulped as he grabbed onto Harley and fled deeper into the castle. She fought him, but ultimately when he told her to shut up and deal with it, she did exactly that.

Kain smiled, knowing that they would be safe and he could concentrate all his effort on defending Sakinah. "Come at me," he said, daring any monster that would think of trying to test him. "I will not fall to your lot." 


	13. Chapter 13

Don't Fall, part 13

FIC START!

Surrounded by monsters and backed up into the corner against the stairs that led up the tower they had just descended, Kain and Sakinah stood firm in their position.

"The massster requiressss the girl," the biggest of the pack proclaimed. "The one that cariessss the ssssscent of the crysssstal."

All of the other monsters whooped and hollered upon hearing that and charged at Kain again. There were no flaws in his form as his spear killed many a monster underling in the span of mere minutes. Blood splattered all over his armor and the floor in front of him, but he never once allowed any of the monster taint upon Sakinah who stood behind him.

"The only way to end this onslaught is to take out the boss," Kain said finally. "It seems to be spawning more of them in the shadows."

"Then go. You can take him." Sakinah said, trying to feign bravery.

"I am not leaving you. They want you specifically," Kain replied. "I told you that I would protect you as long as I can. I wasn't lying to you, Sakinah."

"There has to be something we can do," she said quietly, not able to take her eyes off the monsters that charged at Kain trying to get to her. "We can't wait until you tire out. You cannot last forever."

"No, you're right." Kain agreed. "I don't see any opening..."

As Kain let his line of vision shift to look for a place he might be able to jump to, a claw came surging out from a place he could not see from the corner of his eye. Suddenly, Sakinah jumped out in front of him, taking the blow with her left shoulder. She yelped in pain, falling back against Kain for a split second.

"Sakinah!"

"I'm not going to die from this," she grumbled. "But you have taken enough hits for me."

"Get behind me before another strikes you!"

Sakinah felt her heart race, and without realizing what she had done, called the very static electricity from the air between her palms. The prickling sensation stung just a bit before she decided to shoot it out of both hands at the same time. "No," she declared. "I must fight with you... because..." Another bolt of lightning formed between her hands and she shot it off, too. "...because I love you, Kain."

"Sssshe fightssss?" the boss monster asked. "The Massssster sssssayssss sssshe cannot fight. No matter. Now it's my turn!" It stomped over its very own underlings before standing before Kain and Sakinah with six foot claws extended right at them.

"Sakinah," Kain said. "I have an idea."

"Listening."

"Band with me."

She nodded in agreement, and once they were both on equal footing, Kain placed his hand on Sakinah's. She used the bolt of electricity on the blade of his spear, and he jumped with every bit of strength he could muster right into the head of the monster. It twitched a few times before flopping over onto its stomach.

"A single hit?" Sakinah asked in disbelief.

Kain nodded. "The stronger a relationship grows, the stronger their band attacks can become, too. We should practice in the future."

"Yeah. We should. I feel stronger all ready!"

Kain wrapped his arms around Sakinah and lifted her up into the air to celebrate their victory. "As you should!" he exclaimed before squeezing her and putting her back on her feet. "I'm proud of you."

"I don't even know how it happened. I just couldn't let you get hurt anymore. So something in my body sparked and... it just snapped. When it happened, I understood. Like. Magic."

"That's what it was," Kain said. "That is magic. Using your feelings and the energy around you is exactly what magic is. You said you were Mysidian born. That is proof. If you wish it, I will see you to Mysidia. You can further study what you've discovered there." He noticed that all the little monsters faded away as the boss monster's corpse vanished. "It is on the way to where I planned to take you anyway."

"You mean... the place where you found your answers, right?"

"The place where both my best friend and I found the truth about ourselves is where I plan to take you to help you find your answers, Sakinah." He put his hand on her head, ruffling her hair. "But now that I know you can fight, we don't have to wait to head to Mt. Hobs. Edward has no excuse to hold us further."

"Actually, I do," Edward said as he and Harley came in from the crystal room behind the throne. "That reason being the first time any mage uses magic, it drains them physically. I imagine that Sakinah may be a tad dizzy right now." He smiled widely. "You did impress, however."

"You saw it?" Sakinah asked.

"Oh yes we did," Harley said, clapping. "Your display of affection was something special, Lady Sakinah. Rushing in to protect the one you love can be the strongest motivator, especially in battle." She snapped her fingers. "To dinner then?"

Sakinah nodded, suddenly caught on by that onset of dizziness that Edward mentioned. She slipped forward before Kain could catch her and slumped right onto her face. "Ooooh," she groaned. "If I could make it there... what is this sensation?"

"To use magic, you use mental energy," Kain said, reaching down to help her up. "And when you deplete it, you'll lose your balance. You have to know how to balance your casting with conventional weapons, but... you'll learn it over time. No rush. For your first battle, you did well."

Edward smiled. "So when you're back to being yourself, we'll have you go to the armory to find a weapon. Until then, you just rest."

"That reminds me," Harley said. "Exactly how did you get out? I locked you in there, hoping you'd work out some of the issues between you two."

"And by work out issues, you wanted us to share a bed," Kain retorted as he decided to just carry Sakinah to the dining hall instead of helping her walk.

"That is the best way to work out issues," Edward laughed. "Isn't it, Harley?"

Harley only blushed. "How could you say that? Sire..."

"Yes, my lovely secretary?"

"These matters should not be discussed openly..."

"Your blush is cute." 


	14. Chapter 14

Don't Fall, part 14

FIC START!

Sakinah barely registered what was said during the dinner discussion, even though the conversation was about her. She had a hard time concentrating on much of anything. She hardly ate, which Edward said was to be expected after one's first battle. He ordered a plate be set aside for her for later, as he knew her appetite would only be gone for as long as her mind felt as drained as it was.

"The boss specifically wanted Sakinah," Kain said firmly. "Said she smelled of the crystal."

"Did you not say she was 'blessed' by the crystal in Troia?" Edward asked.

"I have seen her speak with the Earth crystal. It reacted to her words," Kain continued.

"I wonder if this has anything to do with the Creator," Edward suggested. "Even though we defeated him, the eight crystals still remain here. Might she be a Maenad?"

"I doubt that," Harley said. "Even Cuore still retains a non-human element about her, while Sakinah has a shine in her eyes that those manufactured maidens never had."

"Why did the crystal react to her, then?" Edward asked again. "Many have claimed to be servants or acolytes to the crystals over the years, but they never reacted to any human's words."

Sakinah's eyelids felt heavy. She wanted to give her opinions, let her voice be heard. But before she had the chance, she slipped into sleep.

Kain turned his head to his left, taking another bite of his bread. "I suppose I'll have to take her to bed, then."

"Before you do, as she might keep you, Kain..." Edward said, finishing the food on his plate. "...it sounds as if this attack will not stop. I imagine if the master of that pack can summon those to come after Sakinah, then they will continue."

"Our airship was attacked, probably by the same 'master', whoever he is."

"They must be tracking you very carefully if this is the case. To know you were on the Red Wings, to know you weren't in Kaipo but in Damcyan?" Harley asked as she frowned. "Think about that. Why was there no attack in Kaipo when the two of you had Desert Fever? None of this really makes any sense. If they wanted to capture her, why not when she was unable to even move?" She looked over to Edward.

"There must be a reason to all of this," Kain said sternly. "And I intend to keep Sakinah safe, to stay at her side as long as she will have me."

"That's love for you," Edward chuckled, reaching over to tap Kain on the shoulder. "Won't Cecil be happy for you!"

"He will never stop teasing me over it." The dragoon groaned at the thought. Everyone he knew asked him if he was ever going to find someone to share his life the way that they had, and even his own apprentice had an easier time with his feelings than he did. Kain knew that everyone they came across was going to say something about it, and for the love of the crystals, he all ready knew how annoying it was going to be. Even if he was inwardly happy to have someone who understood his walk in the shadows, his confrontation with depression, and eventually the feeling of recovery into a brighter, more open version of oneself.

"Yes, but you'll smile the entire time, because it doesn't matter what he says about it. What matters is what you feel." Edward added. "Take her to bed, then."

"I destroyed the door of the chamber you had us in before," Kain said.

"You don't need a door. You won't be doing anything inappropriate tonight, because I know how you are, Kain."

Kain carefully lifted Sakinah from her chair into his arms, letting her head rest upon his shoulder. She slept deeply, not even feeling that he was carrying her. His mind wandered as he carried her back up to the room where he confessed his feelings. He had known Rosa so long, and yet he never managed to tell her how he felt about her, but with Sakinah it was like the words fell out of his mouth before he even had the chance to reflect on his feelings. He really didn't want to say anything... but in battle, she confessed that even though they had known each other such a short time, she felt the same? Was this right?

Kain placed Sakinah in the bed they argued about using earlier, covered her up. He sat next to the bed, leaning on it so she was right behind him. He was tired too, now that he had slowed down. With a yawn, he let himself fall onto the floor and started snoring almost as soon as his head was parallel with his feet.

The very next morning, when the sun rose high enough to peek through the open window, it landed right on Kain's face enough to wake him up. He blinked a few times before sitting up to see that Sakinah was not where he left her. He panicked for a moment, but only just then, because he heard her voice from down the stairs.

"Do you need me to wake him?"

Kain pulled himself to a sitting position quickly. He realized that Sakinah had a similar situation happen to her in Kaipo once he realized what he was doing.

"No, if he needs the rest, then you should let him, no?"

"You're right, Edward. He did do an amazing job keeping me safe... ever since he met me, in fact. I really hope to repay that one day."

He smiled at the thought of that. Kain never expected anyone to ever feel this way about him in his life. It was enough to lighten his mood, brighten his day, and lift his spirit higher than any flight on dragonsback could ever have taken him.

"So. Are you comfortable standing where monsters can hit you?"

"I don't think so. That blow to my arm hurt worse than almost anything I've ever been through - and I once fell on top of a pile of hedgehogs in the forest outside Troia."

"Ouch. Yeah. You're better suited for long range weaponry then. Whips, archery, boomerangs? We've got a couple you can try out."

"Sure. I'll do what I can."

"And once you get a good hold for your weaponry, I'll bring in some of the monsters from the outside for you to practice on. That way you know you can use it in battle."

Kain stood up at that moment, starting to head out the door he broke open just the night before.

"King Edward, I'm not sure if you should let monsters in your castle."

"I don't have a choice. Down in the basement, the monsters from the desert are able to get in. Some of the walls were never properly rebuilt after Golbez's attack during the War of the Crystals."

"Huh? Why not?"

Edward was silent, but Kain had a decent guess as to why Edward didn't rebuild a part of the castle that wouldn't be shown off to any visitors from other nations or royal families. He knew how much he hurt after losing his first love, and just listening to that silence was all Kain needed to figure out Edward was still not over her. It was as if he could hear Edward's tears and feel the cloud of depression that seemed to not let go even now. Perhaps Edward needed a trip to Mount Ordeals as well. He was planning to head there anyway. Why not bring the world-famous Bard King along?

"Because I have other uses for the holes in the castle. Weak enemies like the ones outside are perfect for training new guards that come to Damcyan, but have never had much battle experience, for example," Edward answered Sakinah eventually.

Kain headed down the stairs to see that Sakinah was being fitted for light armor by Edward and a few guards. Sakinah didn't notice him as she was so busy being fussed over.

"Does it fit right?" Edward asked. "If not, I'll find some other proper battle attire for you."

"It doesn't fit well at all. The chest is too broad and I don't think I can move easily in it," Sakinah answered. "Maybe it's because I don't have much strength that it feels heavy." She tried to walk around in the armor, which is when she saw Kain standing there behind her. "Kain! You're awake!"

"And not too soon," Kain replied. "If you aren't able to wear armor, try vests or robes. Be glad you are not clad in metal like knights are, or you would really have a hard time moving. With experience, you'll have more constitution, and then you'll be able to handle heavier equipment."

"Vests do sound like the best option," Edward agreed. "We'll take this armor off then."

As the guards untied the pieces of leather armor strapped to her body, Kain noticed that Sakinah was not wearing her Troian robes or dress that he had always seen her in. She wore very little under that armor. He had never seen her figure as the clothes she wore were never form fitting. He wanted to hold her to him at that very moment, letting his hands quest all over her body. Oh, it took every bit of self control not to take her back to their room.

"So, Kain," Edward said when he saw Kain blushing at the sight of Sakinah in a single form-fitting white gown. "How are you this morning?"

"I... I think everything is just fine. Maybe even perfect." Kain replied, not even bothering to look at Edward.

"Do you need a minute with Sakinah? I can see what other armors we have around here."

Sakinah ran over to Kain so she could hug him tightly. "Good morning, Kain!"

Kain put his arms around her, kissing her forehead. "Oh, good morning, Sakinah... Please, may I have a moment with you? I just wish to speak to you alone for a moment."

"Yes, of course," Sakinah said with a nod. "Edward, give us a minute, would you?"

"I'll let you have all morning if you need," Edward said, turning to leave. "I'll find all the armors in the castle for you to try on. Be back in a bit." He winked at Kain before he damn near sprinted to the nearby door.

Kain immediately snatched Sakinah up off her feet and back up the set of stairs. When he knew they were alone, he pulled her chin in for a kiss much stronger than the one he gave her the day before. "I needed that," he said quietly.

"No, I think you need more than that," she whispered, kissing him again.

His hands finally had the quest he wished for them. Somehow he ended up pinning her against the wall and she had her legs wrapped around his waist after only a few moments of passion. He stopped himself, afraid of taking it any further until she looked directly in his eyes as if pleading for more of his affection.

"Sakinah, may I-"

"Kain, please. Make love to me." 


	15. Chapter 15

Don't Fall, part 15

FIC START!

Did he just hear that right?

Sakinah looked up at him, staring right into his eyes. She had her hands around his neck, her legs wrapped around his waist, and her body seemed ready to accept any and all affection he was ready to give her. Even though she was against the wall, she didn't seem to mind one bit. No, she was smiling. She was happy to be there pressed against him, to feel each and every motion he made, every breath that both entered and escaped his body.

Kain used his arms to pull her closer so her mouth met with his again. How many times could he kiss her, but never grow bored of it? "Sakinah," he whispered, "Are you sure you want this from me?"

"Kain," she said very simply, only to pull her hands away to lift the white dress she was wearing over her head. It landed on the floor with a light ruffle sound. "I want everything from you."

Unable to fight his natural urges, he held her naked body against him to carry her to the bed nearby. Kain was gentle when laying her down. It only took him a few moments to unbutton his pants. He laid atop Sakinah, feeling her moderate sized breast against his chest. He slid right between her legs, propping himself up above her with most of his weight on his elbows, just a bit to constantly keep her eyes in his own.

When he got there, his body trembled for a second. Kain had never once been before with anyone. He only thought of Rosa until he knew for certain she was out of his reach, and never once again thought of having this sort of relationship with anyone. He kissed Sakinah's cheek, slowly making way to her neck, and then finding his mouth on one breast with a hand on the other. He suckled that breast lovingly and tenderly, and when he thought of stopping, that sound she made when he kept at it only encouraged him to keep going. It seemed so simple a gesture, but he couldn't help himself when he heard her moan.

Were there other places he could kiss to elicit such a response? He simply had to know.

Kain kept kissing along the different curves and crevices of her body, different places seemed to vary in responses from Sakinah. Her stomach didn't seem to be a place she reacted to much. Her legs, however, made her twitch. And that's when he decided to finally kiss her second set of lips that her moan was much more dramatic. That was the gold mine, and his tongue dug into the cave, only to find the treasure come in the form of shudders of delight and moans begging for him to never stop. He licked the insides of her caverns until she laid almost limp for a few moments.

She put her hand on his head. "That... that was amazing..." Sakinah whispered. "You must let me return the favor to you."

"How would you- I have no such place-"

Sakinah pulled him closer to her before rolling enough to put his head on the bed. "You kissed all of me... and you gave me the best sensation I've ever felt in my life, Kain... I... you must feel this... this affection unlike any other." Just as Kain did, she started with a normal kiss on the cheek and made her way to his ear. He didn't seem to like that as much as she did, so she moved along to his neck, where he had much more of a reaction than she did. Kain winced from her lips squeezing a part of the muscle there just enough to hurt. His breaths became shorter, and his eyes closed. She smiled when she noticed just how much he loved it. When she began to kiss along his collarbone, he let out a few barely audible words.

"Don't... don't stop. Go ba... go back."

"To your neck?"

"If... if you wouldn't mind..."

She leaned back down to take at his neck again, this time sucking on his neck muscles where she had previously only pinched them. He panted, feeling his brow and his legs become covered in sweat very slowly. Kain reached down to fully expose himself to her. His penis was fully engorged. Sakinah lightly touched it and he sighed the heaviest sigh he'd ever let out in his life.

"This," she said quietly. "This is that one place, like what you did for me, isn't it? I barely touched you and you can't even say anything." Sakinah slid along his body so she could reach his extended lovestick much easier. "Kain..." She brought her lips to its tip, licking it once. "...I think I found where you want my tongue to go, haven't I?"

"I... want you... to..."

"Kiss it? Lick it?"

"Suck it."

Sakinah nodded before opening her lips just enough to let his erection into her mouth. She was able to take it until his tip started to fall into her throat. Kain's hands instantly landed in her hair, pulling her head down to take him in deeper. She hadn't done anything except let her mouth form around him but he was all ready squirming in the same way he made her squirm just a bit ago. She couldn't say or ask him anything, but she wanted to. Sakinah felt a bit stuck, as if she had no idea where to go from here.

Kain helped a bit with his hands, leading her both up and down along his hardened member. It was a gentle rhythm, one that once Sakinah had grown used to, seemed easier than she let it be before. The more she had it there, the more she wanted it there. The more she knew she was going to want it there in the future. Sakinah at that point gently sucked his length, her tongue and lips alike working in harmony to pull at the wrinkled skin just enough to make him release into her. Since he was so deep into her throat, she had no choice but to swallow his release.

Sakinah pulled back and laid upon the bed next to him, only for Kain to roll over just enough to be able to squeeze her against him.

"Sakinah," he said, "Can this... can this be every night of our lives?""

"Kain. I want to lay naked against you every opportunity I can. Kain, I don't want to go back to Troia if you don't go home with me... I want to be with you forever."

"And... and I want the same."

He had never felt more alive than he had with her right then. Kain watched her fall right to sleep against him, nuzzled against his chest to listen to his heartbeat. Soon, he felt his eyes close. His cheek rested in her brown hair, his smile never fading.

"Kain? Kain, wake up!" Sakinah's voice called him from his slumber. He had no idea how long he had been asleep, but he woke rested. Kain noticed that she was no longer in his arms but standing up, fully dressed. And why was he lying on the hard floor? Was he not just in the bed? Perhaps he rolled out. Her face wrought with worry, she hand her hands on his shoulder to shake him. "Kain. Edward is worried about you. Are you all right?"

Kain sat up and nodded in response. "Why would Edward think something was wrong with me?" he asked. "Didn't he say he would let us rest if we needed it?"

Sakinah put her hand to his forehead. He seemed relatively normal. "Kain, what on Earth are you talking about? You put me to bed. Edward said so. I found you on the floor when I woke, but since it was before sunrise, Harley let me eat what I missed at dinnertime. It's all ready noon. I've had my armor fitted and I've even picked out my weapon. But you haven't been there. I was really hoping you would be."

"Forgive me, Sakinah, I... I thought I was with you." Kain reached to pull her close, and she jumped against him. "I... was here, with you."

"I think you were dreaming, Kain."

"If that was just a dream, may I have this dream every night until it comes to be," Kain said, just a little sad to come to that realization. "I never wanted to leave your side."

"You seem disappointed. Was the dream that good?"

"Sakinah. It is my wish to have that dream come true. Repeatedly. For eternity, if it was possible."

"What... did you dream?" she asked.

"You and I, we..." he started like he wanted to go into detail, but no. Kain didn't want this to be rushed simply because he desired it. "...we made a promise."

"Why would we need to make the same promise repeatedly for eternity?"

"Sakinah..." he whispered. "...never mind. Why don't you tell me about the weapon you picked out for yourself?"

"I would, but I want you to come see my first real battle! I think I have the hang of it!" Sakinah exclaimed as she stood up on her own two feet. "So come on!"

"With pleasure." 


	16. Chapter 16

Don't Fall, part 16

FIC START!

Sakinah pushed the brown bangs out of her face as she reached into the pocket on the vest she wore once she and Kain were down near the huge hole in the building King Edward had spoken of before. Inside was a folding boomerang with bladed edges. She held it up to show him. He had seen all sorts of weaponry in through his training days up until now, and he didn't see much to be impressed about. But there was the fact that she felt confident in using it, and the fact that she was more a mage than a melee combatant anyhow.

"Perhaps you should tie your hair back, for your safety," Kain said, trying not to sound like he was being overly bossy. "A boomerang is not an entirely accurate weapon on its own, you must have clear vision."

"That's actually a great point," Sakinah said with a nod, putting a red cap on her head to keep her hair from her face. "I thought a hat would be good enough, but the hat could come off at any time if I have to move around in combat… thanks, Kain."

"Mm," he agreed. "Still. You brought me out here to show me your boomerang skills?"

"I did," she said, taking the hat off so she could use a ribbon to tie her bangs up so they would not fall into her face. "I may not be as powerful as you, but…"

"When you don't have any experience, you aren't going to have much strength." Kain was encouraging. "But that will come over time. You have nothing to worry about, Sakinah."

With that, she turned her attention to the gigantic hole in the wall where the desert monsters were known to come in. She took a few steps closer, and the monsters outside sensed that there was a human nearby. So they came to the sound of her footsteps.

"If you have any problems with this, I will assist," Kain reassured her. "But I will stand back to give you an honest chance."

"I'll do what I can," she answered, tightening the grip on the handle area of the boomerang.

A large two-legged monster came in first, and while she was a little scared, she reared her hand back and gave it a forceful throw in the direction of the enemy. It hit dead on and circled back, though the creature did not die. Instead it took another step closer to her, and she did it again. Kain watched her every move, and with every direct hit, she seemed to gain more confidence at it. Sakinah eventually defeated her first monster all on her own, and ready to take on the next one that was coming through.

"Considering you have had no training in combat whatsoever, you're doing splendidly," Kain said, cheering her on. "These monsters are a bit slow, so they are perfect for training."

"Mm!" she replied, "I think I've got it!"

"I think you do, too."

It took her a little while, but she managed to kill a few more monsters before she grew exhausted from it. A few had scratched at her, but the wounds were not serious in the least. Kain immediately noticed when she seemed dizzy and grabbed onto her, finishing off the two that had come inside at that time, and made off with her to an area that the monsters would not respond to.

"I'm proud of you," he said. "Sakinah."

"My arms hurt from all the throwing…" she said, rubbing her shoulders with her hands. "But we shouldn't wait too long to go… I will be fighting along the way anyhow, and that's the real training…"

"Not to worry, Sakinah," Kain whispered, suddenly holding her close. "We'll go tomorrow, then."

She nodded, returning his affection. "Don't worry. I'll manage. I'll take care of myself just fine."

"No, no," Kain said, pulling her tighter. "I will always have your back."

"...Kain…"

…

The duo went to bed that night together. There was no need for the silliness of arguing where to sleep. Kain didn't even have to ask if she wanted to sleep together, she was the one who told him he couldn't sleep on the floor. Sakinah stared out the window at the desert night sky and Kain held her from behind, his cheek nestled in her soft brown hair. Even though Kain's dream was still on his mind, he dare not make the approach on her. Their relationship had just started, and there was no way of telling if this one would last.

"Mount Ordeals," she whispered as she looked out the window at the beautiful twinkling stars the way she always had out of her tower window back in Troia. "What kind of a place is this supposed mountain of truth?" Sakinah prayed to the Goddess, sinking into the mattress with all her weight.

"...it is the highest peak on our world," Kain answered sleepily. "Covered in all matters of undead monsters. But at the summit is a magical structure wherein there is a room of mirrors. This is the place that will help with your questions."

"I know it is taking a bit to get there, and I'm sorry to put you away from your duties."

"No, no, don't be." Kain yawned. "I offered."

"You offered, but… you still have work."

"You came with me, even though you still have work."

"...Kain."

"...Sakinah."

"Go to sleep."

"Yes, my lady."


	17. Chapter 17

Don't Fall, part 17

FIC START!

The next morning, Sakinah and Kain had breakfast, and under Edward's orders, were given backpacks full of supplies from potions and remedies, to cooking supplies and camping gear. Harley drove them to the base of the mountain on the hovercraft, and the duo started their hike up the peak of Mount Hobbs, and left them there for them to start their long hike.

Immediately, Sakinah knew what Edward had meant about the mountain being full of monsters. She kept close to Kain as he asked her to, providing assistance how she could. A few casts of Thunder and swings of her boomerang as he took down large groups of creatures with his spear. She felt more confident after all the battles they had together. As the two of them grew closer, their Thunder Thrust band grew much more potent, too. Sakinah felt as if this adventurer's lifestyle was exciting, even though she missed her office. Even atop a mountain like this, the sky still seemed the same.

"Are you all right?" Kain asked, looking over to her. "You've fought hard today."

"I'm not going to be dead weight," she said through heavy breathing. Boy, was she tired. Especially her shoulders. She wasn't used to throwing her boomerang yet, but she'd get there eventually. "I refuse to put any more stress on you than I should."

"Sakinah, I don't mind if you need help…" he answered her, putting his hand on her shoulder to offer her a bit of comfort. "…in fact, I expect it. You're still gaining battle and adventuring experience."

Sakinah turned to hug around him tightly so suddenly that it caught him off guard. "Thank you, Kain."

"Any time…" he said, returning the gesture.

Soon the skies grew darker, which meant they would have to set up camp. Kain directed her to a magical glyph carved into the rocks which would prevent monsters from touching anything within the field it created. It was there that the two set up a campfire and a tent.

Sakinah sat there next to the fire, staring up at the sky. Very cloudy. It could easily become a storm. This was something she spent a lot of time watching back home, and even now, as she had spent so long doing it, it was a hard habit to break.

"I believe it will be a heavy rain this night," Kain said quietly. He watched the sky, but he did not know as much about the workings of the weather as his companion did. He was reminded of his many days upon Mount Ordeals, doing this same sort of thing every night, during his training and self exile from Baron. He was always drawn towards the sky, even as a child. Kain then thought of how wonderful it was to ride on the back of his father's wyvern, just to be able to soar through the sky. It was because of that, and his family's history, that he decided to become a dragoon in the first place. "What say you, Miss Skyreader?"

"Easily, it could rain," she agreed. "Is the tent rainproof?"

"Mm. Nothing to worry about. All tents and cottages are."

"...is it true you lived on the mountainside for seventeen years?" Sakinah's question seemed to come out at random.

"Yes," he replied, toking the fire a bit more. It crackled loudly and the flames grew stronger, all the while the skies rumbled with thunder above.

"How did you live? What did you eat?"

"Very simply. There were days I would go down the mountain and visit Mysidia just to eat with the gil I would find during my daily training with the monsters, but I wore a disguise to keep myself from being recognized at the local inn I frequented," Kain answered. "Otherwise, I ate whatever I could find off the land. Berries, fruits, mushrooms, whatever I could find. And at the end of the day, I'd sleep either in the Chocobo Forest to the south of the mountain, or in a tent on top of one of these-" he pointed at the glyph on the ground which was the center of their safe space. "-like any other adventurer." He looked over at her. "I will prepare stew, if you'd like."

"With what?"

"Monster meat, obviously. All I carry now are the spices. The recipes are made with things we find along the way to make the travel easier," he said. "Are you hungry? Is that not why you asked?"

"...I asked because I've never even been on a mountain like this before, and I found it fascinating that anyone could have lived out here for so long. Meanwhile, I spent most my life in a castle. Eyes on the sky, but… never stopping to notice that there's a whole world down here around my feet," Sakinah said, putting her hands on the mountain rock she sat upon. Even though she was so far away from Troia, she knew the Earth Crystal still glimmered brightly in the Troian Castle. She could still feel its warm steady pulse, as if the crystal was reassuring her that this was exactly where she needed to be. "Though, yes, I will admit, I am quite hungry."

"After such a long trek, it makes sense," Kain said, picking up his spear. "I shall return in just a moment, my lady." He then walked out of the safety area provided by the glyph and vanished, which Sakinah figured was probably his signature Jump technique.

She watched, though since the sun had gone down, it was much harder to see out there. Sakinah figured the monsters were all the same as the ones they had faced on their way up here, but he was gone for an awfully long amount of time. She listened to the snarls of monsters, with the scraping of claws and the slithering made of scales against the solid rock of the mountain. She held her breath. There were obviously monsters out there, and Kain still had not come back down yet. She would have heard his voice or the spear or his boots - something to signal he was there and alive. It frightened her until she heard the blood curdling screech of a monster which might have actually been larger than she was.

Kain soon reappeared holding a huge chunk of meat provided by a monster he had slain. "Time to prepare this meat," he said, flopping it down against the ground. "We'll eat very well tonight with this much meat between just the two us."

"I thought… something had happened to you…"

"I've fought greater than this thing. There is nothing for you to worry about." Kain said, using a knife to remove all the fur and skin from the rest of the muscle. "Now, you rest, and I'll get to cooking this."


	18. Chapter 18

Don't Fall, part 18

FIC START

Sakinah didn't want to go into the tent on her own. Instead she just watched Kain strip the meat of all the monster fur and huge pieces of fat. He retrieved spices that were in his pack and rubbed it into the muscle, before setting it over the campfire. She laid down, though she didn't find it uncomfortable. Perhaps it was because she had been blessed by the Earth Crystal, or perhaps it was because she wasn't focused on how hard the ground was. It didn't matter. As the meat was spun over the fire to cook it evenly, she stared at it. It squeaked over and over again every time it rotated. It was something she'd never seen before.

"You could go get comfortable. I would bring it to you."

"I'm not even uncomfortable," she said, looking up at him. "I'm just happy to be with you." Sakinah smiled before laying on her back to look straight up at the sky instead. "I don't care where we are, or how tired I am."

Kain stopped for a moment. No one had ever said that about him before, at least, not in his earshot. He was taken aback by her confession, but he didn't want to potentially ruin that. He went back to rotating the meat, trying to hide the fact that he was blushing.

 _Plip. Plip-plop._

Sakinah felt the raindrops first. The monsters were kept out by an invisible barrier, but not the rain. As the drizzle landed on her face, she smiled. She didn't spend much time in the rain growing up. This journey she decided to share with Kain made her reflect on so many things she never quite took the time to consider while cooped up in her tower. Sakinah knew what rain was, she knew what mountains were, she knew what monsters were… but she never really laid out to feel the droplets, she never climbed a mountain, and she certainly never fought anything. It made her laugh an actual, genuine laugh that moved her belly and signaled a peaceful mind.

"What's so funny, Skyreader?"

"Nothing, Holy Dragoon."

"You foresaw the rain."

"I did."

"When I met you in Troia, I honestly thought it was not possible for you to smile so widely," Kain said, still turning that meat even through the soft rain. He had cooked in much harder downpours than this, and it was nothing like some of the deluge rains he had seen while out in the Mysidian countryside.

"No, I just… I think I found one of my answers all ready," Sakinah replied, still looking straight up at the sky.

"Is that so?"

"It is."

"...I'm happy for you, my lady."

"For the first time, I think… I'm happy, too," she said, sitting back up. "I don't know why that is, but I don't want it to go away."

"Then we should do all we can to keep it close," Kain suggested, using a dagger to cut off a large piece of the meat and hand it to her. "I know you Troians aren't big meat eaters, but…"

"I don't care what food is handed to me," Sakinah said, taking the dagger with the meat still on it. Her stomach rumbled loud enough for them both to hear it, and she felt embarrassed for a little bit. "I'll eat anything that isn't rotten." She noticed how it still had steam coming from it, and it dripped juices. She sniffed it once and was so hungry that she didn't really care anymore, she chomped on it.

Kain used another dagger to cut a piece off for himself. "It isn't bad… the meat of these mountain creatures doesn't tend to be as good as the meat from the forest creatures, but it's enough to keep us going when we have nothing else."

Sakinah, with her mouth full, reached into her knapsack and pulled out a few wrapped cookies, putting one on Kain's lap. When she finished her bite, she said, "I bought these before we left Damcyan. Thought maybe you'd like one?"

"That's thoughtful of you. I appreciate it." Kain said, taking a bite of his chunk of meat. "We'll be at the base of the mountain on the Fabulian side by nightfall tomorrow. It will be much easier going downhill as opposed to hiking up."

"Mm…" Sakinah finished her meat piece, then her cookie. Then she let out a sigh, as everything seemed to be absolutely perfect.

Until, suddenly, there was a blood curdling scream from somewhere out in the darkness. Kain's left hand immediately latched onto the handle of his spear. He looked directly into Sakinah's eyes for a split second before whispering, "Do not leave this space."

"Kain," she said, "I… I can help!"

"No, my lady. I will not risk you."

The scream came again, and Kain stood up onto his feet, turning to run out of the safety the magic glyph carved into the rock provided. He jumped beyond where Sakinah could see. She stood up, too, but she had no idea what was going on out there. Who was screaming, and, perhaps more importantly, why were they screaming? She did not wish to go against Kain's simple order, but Sakinah felt as if she had to do something.

She put her hands over her heart, closing her eyes. The night sky was full of clouds, which meant the light of the moon could not help in this case. Her feet firmly on the ground, the power of the Earth Crystal slowly started to swirl about her feet. All she wanted to do was help.

"Skies above," she whispered, "Lend me your assistance! Grant me light!"

The clouds parted, allowing the moon to illuminate that side of the mountain. A group of bomb monsters had surrounded a woman. With the light provided, Kain was able to make a landing on one of the bombs, giving the woman time to run away from the bombs. Sakinah reached for her, helping her into the circle of protection.

"...this circle will protect you," Sakinah said. "I have to help my friend take 'em out."

"It's a Mom Bomb," the woman said, panicked. "All of them will merge if you aren't quick enough!"

"...we'll discuss what you're doing on the mountainside on a rainy night like this later," Sakinah said. "Stay here."

"Yes, of course."

Sakinah ran out of the circle, brandishing her boomerang and ready to take on some bombs. She'd never felt this confident before. It was unlike anything else she'd experienced before.


	19. Chapter 19

Don't Fall, part 19

FIC START!

Sakinah raced out of the barrier, brandishing her boomerang. She swung it hard, hitting one of the bomb monsters. She was a little surprised it actually hit, considering she still wasn't in a battle position, but she didn't question it. Soon, Kain came down, using the signature Jump attack all Dragoons were known to master. He flipped back to land next to her.

"What are you doing here?" he asked. "Go back to the barrier!"

She glared at him. "The reason you have any light here is because I… I… I parted the rain clouds!" she didn't like being snappy at him, but she didn't want to be treated as if she were lesser. Sakinah wanted her battle experience, she wanted to be able to defend those she saw in danger. What use was taking up a weapon if she wasn't going to put it to use? And, worse yet, how would she find her way to Mount Ordeals if Kain was not there to lead her down the correct path?

"Is that so?"

"It is!" she said, more focused on being right than facing the monsters before them. There were a pack of six bombs, three of them bright red, and three of them dark blue. Sakinah could not tell which variation was more powerful than the others, and she had never fought this kind of creature before, so she really wasn't sure of much of anything.

"...give them no quarter," Kain said, "If you are to face them, do so with all you are, lest you be felled. And I would rather not see that happen."

"Do you know anything about these creatures?"

"Bombs. Monsters formed of undead spirits fused with fire, that as their name implies, can explode," Kain explained. "I know for certain that this particular group, when they merge, can create what is known as the Mom Bomb. The mother of all bombs."

"Why do they call it that?" she asked curiously

"Those it kills turns into spirits that when fused with her fire…"

Sakinah nodded. "Yeah, that does make a lot of sense. So, we have to kill one to prevent the merge?"

"...as fast as possible. The moment it senses you, it immediately calls upon the other parts of itself," Kain said sternly. "And your boomerang may not be powerful enough. Use your magic."

"All I have is a Thunder spell… if they are fire spirits, then…"

"Look around you, my lady. You must take advantage of the battlefield as it is. I believe your spell will be much more potent now than it would under normal circumstances," Kain said, shrugging. He jumped back into the air, leaving her to stand on her own against these six monsters.

Sakinah's legs felt like jelly underneath her weight, as every fight she'd had thus far hadn't felt so overwhelming. Her clothes and hair drenched from the rain, she tucked her boomerang back into her pocket and channeled the energy around her. In her hands she gathered all that would come to her, calling upon the static electricity in the air. Kain was right, this _was_ during a thunderstorm. Using her body as a lightning rod, she felt the prickles of the sparks flow against her skin and gather into her hands. Casting magic took time.

She heard the snarls of the monsters nearby. Two of the bombs came up to her, gnashing at her with big teeth. One bit her leg, but she kept channeling her energy even as she felt blood start to fall out of the bite. The other made a bite on her arm, but that one wasn't as deep. She could see another bomb, this one blue, calling upon the power of fire. It was also channeling its power for a cast, and she wasn't sure how many blows she could take.

Sakinah lifted her hands above her head. "Skies above, assist me!" she cried out, using all of her magical power to draw in as much electricity as she could. "…Bolt of the All-father! Thunder!"

The energy released and slammed into the two closest bombs, causing them to fall over lifeless and vanish. Kain came down and landed his spearhead into one of the bombs, and it died, too.

"Are you all right?" Kain asked as he flipped back to land beside her.

"I am out of mental power," Sakinah said, barely able to stand. "No more magic from me."

"We only got out half…" Kain said. "We are in for more than we bargained for…" He reached into his pocket to hand her an Elixir just to prepare her for the incoming blow and prevent her death, but one of the bombs released its fire spell and caused Kain to fall to his knees. "…Sakinah!"

She felt the heat from the flames on him, but she could do nothing to stop it. Sakinah felt tears fall from her eyes. "Kain! I… must tell you something before… we…"

"As must I tell you," Kain said, reaching for her. "Sakinah, I-"

"Not so fast!" came another voice behind them. The voice this belonged to was not familiar to either of them. "I call upon the Goddess of Ice! Shiva! Come forth!"

Suddenly the rainy air became much more cold, and the blue woman wearing nothing more than a leotard and a cape flashed in to unleash a mightly blast of a blizzard upon the three remaining bombs. Now that all six were defeated, the Mom Bomb could not form. Kain couldn't believe it. Who could summon other than the green haired woman of Mist? But he didn't really have the time to think about it. Sakinah fell over onto the ground, as she had been losing blood during the fight, and even though he was low on strength himself, couldn't help but be at her side.

"That Thunder spell was incredible," the summoner said, approaching the wounded couple. "Using the power of the thunderstorm was pretty smart. I'm impressed."

"Ry-Rydia?" Kain asked. "No, no, Rydia's hair isn't blue."

The summoner bent down and held a Hi-Potion bottle to Sakinah's lips, causing her to drink it. Within a few moments, she was able to stand on her own, even if her magical power was drained. It would be enough to get her over to the barrier, if nothing else. "Kain, I know we've only met a few times, when I was much younger… but I'm only just a little disappointed that you don't remember me."

"Wait."

"My name is Cuore?" the summoner said, pouting. "Rydia's my adopted mom?"

"Forgive me, I had forgotten," Kain said, shaking his head. "Honestly. Thank you for your assistance, Cuore. I see you are as powerful a summoner as your mother is. Come. I have a tent set up over at the safe point. There is no need to discuss this out in the middle of a storm."

Kain, Sakinah, and Cuore came to sit inside the barrier to be protected from monsters along with the woman they had found trying to escape the Mom Bomb earlier. Kain offered all of them meat from the monster he prepared over the fire. Sakinah was the first to be curled up in the tent, as her mind was utterly exhausted from having to channel all that power.

"What are you two doing on Mount Hobbs?" Kain asked directly.

"The same could be asked of you," the strange woman replied.

"I am the Captain of Baron's Red Wings and currently en route to Fabul to retrieve my apprentice for His Grace, King Cecil," Kain said. "In my party is the Skyreader of Troia, on a mission on behalf of the Council of Epopts. We are climbing the mountain as our airship crashed." He took another bite of the meat, which might not have been perfect, but after fighting a boss like Mom Bomb, it was more than satisfying.

"You aren't the only one who has survived an airship crash," the woman said, looking down at the fire in the ring of stones. It was hard to make our her face, as she wore a white cloak with red trim over her face. "I was on a ship heading to Mysidia, and… we were struck down. Now I just want to head home."

"Struck down?" Kain asked. He remembered what Sakinah had said during that flight. The weather wasn't natural. "So you believe some… _thing_ is going around striking down airships?"

"No, I don't believe it. I've seen it," she said as she frowned. "It looked like a dragon, but it was not made of flesh and bone. It hid behind clouds… and shot some sort of bolt from its mouth…"

Sakinah closed her eyes. "I knew it…" she declared quietly. "…we were attacked. The clouds don't form like that…"

"But… why would someone go around shooting down airships?" Cuore asked.

"There is power in the ability to mobilize forces," Kain said. "If all nations can pool their powers together, they can stand up to any force trying to cause harm. One reason why the War of the Crystals was able to take place is that the enemy had most all of the airships and prevented quick deliberation. Now that Baron is sharing the technology with the rest of the world so we all might be connected…"

"...there's some force that doesn't like the idea," Cuore said, crossing her arms.

"And you, what's Rydia's adopted daughter doing up here?" Kain asked.

"I'm heading to Mount Hobbs to catch a ship bound for Agart," Cuore said quietly. "I'm heading there to meet with a friend. So, we can stick together for that time, at least."

"Sounds good," Kain said with a smile. "It's always helpful to have a summoner on hand." He then turned to the stranger. "Thank you for telling us what happened. Now we have more information on what is going on to report to the king when I am able to return to Baron."

"In the morning, I will be going back down the mountain to Damcyan…" she said. "…forgive my intrusion."

"There's nothing to worry about," Cuore said, patting her on the back. "Argh, I'm ready for bed!"


	20. Chapter 20

Don't Fall, part 20

FIC START!

Cuore curled up, though by the time she fell asleep, her limbs were sprawled out everywhere. It meant that the strange woman they had rescued had literally no place to sleep comfortably. Both of them snored loudly on one side of the tent. Sakinah had her own place in one corner, though she didn't sleep what with all that snoring. She kept her eyes closed, trying so very hard to sleep. When Kain came in, she did all she could to appear like she was asleep. She heard his shuffling about trying to get comfortable in what limited space there was available. He grunted a few times, and eventually she sensed no more movement from him. But that didn't help her fall asleep. She sat up, letting out a quiet sigh, before she walked back outside where the rain had yet to stop.

Sakinah felt the drops of rain slide down the soft skin of her face. She reflected on her journey thus far, and in that moment, she wondered what the world would be doing if she had successfully died as she planned. How she threw herself from that tower window, and was caught by a man in light blue armor with long blonde hair. Kain. She put her hand over her heart as she thought of how he had guided her, how he spoke to her, how he taught her things… she smiled at that, looking up at the sky full of dark looming clouds that were covered up by the night.

"Sakinah…"

She heard his voice, even though she thought he had fallen asleep earlier.

"...you mustn't stay out in the rain, my lady. You will fall ill, and that would make the traveling that much harder."

She shook her head. "I can't sleep," she mumbled. "My brain just will not settle."

"But it must. We still have a long way to go before we reach Fabul… and I refuse to leave you behind, Sakinah," Kain said. When she turned around to look at him, he had his headpiece off. His gorgeous blonde hair was pulled down and hung down to his butt. He smiled at her just a little. "This has been harder on you than you're used to, and the long trek will take from your state of mind if you let it."

"But the state of the world…" she said weakly. "…someone going around destroying airships… is it not frightening to you, knowing of this, and yet, not be able to do anything about it?"

"This is not your quest, Sakinah, nor is it mine. The moment I inform King Cecil about it, I know the military will move to stop it," Kain replied, walking up to her. "Be at ease, my lady. Please. It troubles me, knowing you are so distraught."

Sakinah looked up into his eyes. He may have been a battle hardened warrior, but his clear blue eyes gave her a sense of calmness. She wanted to fall against him, to let him hold her, to stare into those clear blue eyes forever. "Kain…" she whispered. "…there is something I've been meaning to tell you."

"Is there?" he asked. "Pray tell. Perhaps this is the real reason you cannot fall asleep."

She hesitated, feeling her heart beat much faster. "I… I don't…"

"I'm listening, Sakinah. I will always listen to you. Out with it."

Sakinah blushed profusely. "I don't want to go back to Troia when this is all over," she confessed. "I have never known freedom like this. I've never known someone like you, and… I couldn't bear to be apart from you. Kain, I-"

"My lady…" Kain sighed, pulling her closer to him. "…I only wish we do not have to part, as I…" He squeezed her to him as if clinging for dear life, as if she was what mattered the most to him and he wanted to just keep her as close to him as he could. "…I feel the same."

Out there in that cold rain, it seemed like the only warmth they really had was each other. Sakinah didn't want her feelings to be misunderstood, but it didn't seem like they were. She wished deep down that he would take the lead and kiss her lips, that he would lie with her and ravish her body with his own. She didn't understand how she could suddenly wish for something like this, but she wasn't going to refuse this desire. "Kain," she whispered, "Would you fall asleep next to me, as we did in Damcyan?"

"Even though we share the tent with others?" he asked.

"I don't care," she answered. "I wish to feel you."

Suddenly he was the one who blushed. His dreams from that night flashed in his mind again, as if echoing. He'd been wanting that for a bit, but after being refused so long by the one person he loved more than anyone or anything, he was afraid of being rejected. If only they were alone, he would have carried her inside that tent and lied atop her, only to kiss her anywhere she desired. Kiss anywhere he desired. Kain shook his head as he thought of ways to get around the fact they weren't alone, and he knew they were terrible ideas. He knew he couldn't carry her off to somewhere else where monsters were lurking only for a chance to give her all he was. Instead, he directed her back to the tent with a gentle smile. "I shall hold you as you fall asleep," he said, "and in your dreams, I shall give you anything you desire."

"What if what I desire is…"

"I don't care," he said, "I wish to give you everything your heart desires and even more than that. Sakinah, I… I've fallen for you. So hard that I cannot imagine life without you." He used one hand to grab her chin and pull her face to his, finally using his lips to connect to hers. She melted in his arms, as they shared kiss after kiss, their hands wandering each other's bodies in that steadily falling rain. When he pulled away, he begged her in a whisper to her ear, "Be mine, Sakinah Skylar."

"I all ready am, Kain Highwind," she whispered into his ear.


	21. Chapter 21

Don't Fall, part 21

FIC START!

The next morning, Sakinah woke up nestled in Kain's arms. She didn't remember getting into this position, and she didn't really remember falling asleep there. She noticed that Cuore was all ready awake, fumbling through a book, and the strange woman who had told them of all that was happening lately wasn't in the tent at all. Outside, the rain was gentle. Almost as gentle as Kain's deep breathing against her back.

"Ah, Sakinah," Cuore whispered, "Good morning."

"Good morning," she whispered in reply. "Where's-"

"The stranger?" Cuore finished her sentence, and then simply shrugged. "She was gone before I woke up. Nothing's missing from what I can tell, so I don't think she made off with anything." The teal-haired girl then cracked a grin. "You look satisfied curled up like that with Kain… I'm not sure how, considering you're both still wearing clothes."

"...now that sounds like a line Edge would say," Kain said sleepily. "You spend a lot of time in Eblan?"

"Edge spends more time in Mist than Eblan…" Cuore answered.

"Most certainly due to his affections for Rydia," Kain continued. That ninja had always been a cocky flirt, and hearing this was of no surprise. It was nice to know that in some places in the world, things never changed. He sat up carefully, holding Sakinah to him as he moved. "Good morning." He wasn't sure if Sakinah would have wanted a kiss or not, otherwise he would have given her one. He tried to think of how Cecil and Rosa were every time they shared a tent or slept at an inn, and how affectionate they were. But he didn't know if Sakinah was the type to want affection so often. "I wished to ask that curious woman more information, but if she isn't here, then there isn't much I can do about that."

"Eh, at least she told us what she did last night," Cuore said, putting her book away. "Still, we have a long day hiking through the mountains before we get back on solid ground. I think we'd best prepare for that."

"Aye," Kain agreed. "Come then, let us move. I'll catch supper on the way to the next safe glyph." He picked himself up and extended a hand to Sakinah, who then suddenly wrapped her arms around him. "As nice as this is, we won't get anywhere if we stay like this all morning."

"I just wanted to hug you. I don't mean to get in the way."

"No, it's fine. Just a small reminder, is all." He returned her embrace tightly before they both let go to pack up everything. Kain put all of his battle armor on, pulled his long hair back up to keep it from falling all over the place, and began to fill his travel sack neatly. He had spent so long roaming that he was an expert at packing.

Cuore didn't carry anywhere near as much on her as Kain and Sakinah did, making it seem as if she had just stayed in Fabul and was only intending on crossing the mountain, but going no further than the desert capital of Damcyan. She had a few magical tomes, as she was studying to become a summoner as her adopted mother. The young girl had paler skin than any humans Sakinah had ever seen, but then again, she had lived most of the time she could remember within Troia. Perhaps there were far more kinds of people out in the world she hadn't seen. Not everyone could come from the forested continent as she did, after all.

It took a few hours before they were ready to leave the safety of the glyph, and once they did, the uphill trek began anew. As they fought the monsters they came across, they held a formation much like a triangle. Kain led the group, and both Cuore and Sakinah stayed in the back row. The ladies were both adept in magic, though Cuore had white magic and summon spells, while Sakinah had her boomerang and sky magic. That's what she called it when Cuore asked about it, anyway. Her lightning only came when she called it from the sky, and she was able to move the clouds around when she asked for it. Sakinah had a feeling that this power came from the blessing she received from the Earth Crystal, and the more time she spent using it, the more comfortable it felt to use it. Her accuracy with the boomerang was getting better the more she used it, too.

By the time night fell again, Sakinah was able to calm the winds enough for Kain to stoke a fire to cook his latest catch.

"This power is incredible," Sakinah said, shaking her head in disbelief.

"You have gained a bit of experience in our battles today," Kain said as he seasoned the beast he caught and ran it through with a rod so he might cook it over the fire. "We all become more powerful the more we fight. We learn more about ourselves while under so much pressure from having our lives in danger."

"You must have seen some incredible battles, being as powerful as you are," Cuore said bluntly. "Like Rydia and Edge."

"I have seen and fought against all manner of foe, yes," Kain agreed. "Some of which I pray the Gods never put you two through. I've seen more than enough of that for all of us."

"I don't mind, as long as I'm fighting alongside you," Sakinah said as she looked over at Kain. "I feel more capable than I ever had, being here… with you."

"I would rather not subject you to the nightmares I've seen," Kain returned her loving glance. "Learning to battle monsters for the sake of survival is a necessity in our world, though I had always hoped it wouldn't be. Some of us are more suited to familiar roles, some of us are more suited to looking after fields and tending animals… but because of how our world works, we must pull people from peaceful roles into roles of conflict."

Sakinah frowned upon hearing that. "Is there something you'd rather do?"

"I've been suited for battle since I was born, the military is the only life I've ever known," Kain said. "My father was a dragoon and raised me to essentially take his place upon his death." He rotated the meat over the fire. "I do not remember much about my mother, except she was frail and sickly often."

"I don't have parents," Cuore said. "I was taken in by Rydia."

Sakinah sighed. "The Red Wings killed my parents the day a dark knight stole the crystal from the sacred place in Mysidia. Both of them mages who worshiped the crystal. I was sent to Troia after that."

They shared dinner together and, based on Kain's knowledge, they would reach the grasslands of Fabul by midday tomorrow.


	22. Chapter 22

Don't Fall, part 22

FIC START!

It took a few days total, but Sakinah and Kain had cleared Mount Hobbs and finally reached flat grasslands. She took a moment to let herself absorb the energy from the fresh grass. The Earth seemed glad to feel her, as much as she was to feel it. The group had a moment to rest before continuing on, and she took off her boots to let her bare feet enjoy the feeling of the grass. That, at least, was familiar even this far from home. She loved the _shiwsh-sway_ sound the grass made as she moved her feet over it. It even tickled a little.

"Sakinah," Kain said, waving for her to come closer. "We should head on. Fabul is due east, down this exact way. Let's head out." He waited for her to lace up her boots, while Cuore had her eye on the coast nearby. "Mmm? Are you not headed to Fabul?"

"No. I told you I was meeting a friend," Cuore said quietly. "This is where I arranged to meet him."

With a puff of magic dust, there was a pig standing there right in front of her. "Hi, Cuore!"

"Hello," she said, bowing her head just a little. "Sorry if I was late. We had to fight a Mom Bomb atop the mountain. And it was storming, too."

"That'd do it," the pig said, putting a hoof up to his snout as if he was contemplating things. "But that's all right. It's just a quick teleport from here to Agart."

"That's good," Cuore said. She turned to give Kain a light embrace, and completely smothered Sakinah in a tight hug. "You two be good. I'll see you around sometime, I'm sure. Get stronger, Sakinah. You're going to need to protect your dragoon."

"We'll be fine, Cuore," Sakinah said, giggling. "Really."

"Don't I know it…" Cuore said as she put her hand against the pig's hoof. "…I'm ready."

"Teleport!"

And just like that, Cuore and the pig were gone in another puff of magic dust. Sakinah was curious about the magical procedure of teleportation, as it was something she'd never seen or heard of before now, but that was all well and good, she figured. Magic wasn't really what she was good at, not in the traditional sense. She also wondered by Cuore was friends with a talking pig, but she figured that since she had such a closed life until now that she was going to see things she wasn't quite used to. She was going to see weird and different things on her journey, and perhaps this is what she needed?

Kain then took a few steps to the east. "Don't just stand there. We have plenty of ground to cover."

"You're right," Sakinah agreed, following him as he led the way.

Sakinah's first few real battles happened while up on that mountain, and she was glad for it. She recalled back to the vision she had looking into the Earth Crystal back in Troia. Standing atop a mountain with Kain. She knew what Kain standing there meant now, of course. After fighting alongside him, and now even sleeping alongside him, she had grown very fond of him. Sakinah didn't want to be without him in any situation if it was possible. She had grown to love him, and she was under the impression that he returned that affection. Here they were headed off together to complete one of his royal tasks, and she loved being along for the ride. They conquered monsters along the way, headed along in the direction where the sun was setting.

"What kind of place is Fabul?" Sakinah wondered aloud.

"Fabul is a patriarchal society, run by a king who is also a warrior monk," Kain explained. "They have traditions that date as far back as thousands of years ago. Their way is the way of the warrior. They consider keeping others around them safe of the utmost importance. They do not fight for selfish reasons, but to protect." He smiled as he explained it. "I've met a few monks, but none of them are more honorable than King Yang himself. He believes in taking care of his country and his family more than even taking care of himself."

"He sounds like an amazing man," Sakinah said, trying to picture a man who lived up to everything Kain said.

"I have fought alongside Yang, back before he became a king or a father, and honestly… I quite admire him for his bravery and spirit," Kain continued. "He might be quite excitable sometimes, but there's no one I trust more to have my back in battle. Except perhaps Cecil. It makes sense that men with honor become kings in our world."

"Kain, you have honor," Sakinah said very quietly. "Do not sell yourself short."

"Sakinah, my dearest, you do not know of all the things I have been through. The things I have done," he said gently, not wanting to look her in the eye. "My honor did not come to me until much after theirs, and they were rewarded for always sticking with the light, while I…"

"Kain, did you not say that you were forgiven? That this is why you have attained the rank of Holy Dragoon?" Sakinah asked, putting her hands around his arm to stop him from walking any further. "I thought you had forgiven yourself."

He just frowned for a moment. "It is hard not to get wrapped up in guilt every time I think of it."

"I didn't mean to bring it up."

"No, no, you didn't," Kain said, suddenly pulling her close to him. "It's just that when I think of the men I have met through the two wars I fought in, I always compare them to myself… and then I bring up all the old memories related to everything…"

Sakinah looked up at him from within their embrace, her brown eyes staring up into his lovely blue ones. She blinked a few times, only wanting to reassure him that whatever he had gone through, there was no reason to concentrate on that now. "I can't make you forget it, but I do want to let you know, the way you keep telling me… that we are more than our pasts. We've made mistakes, but we're doing all we can to keep going forward."

"Sakinah…" Kain whispered, bending down just a little to plant his lips onto hers, locking them into a delicate kiss.


	23. Chapter 23

Don't Fall, part 23

FIC START!

Fabul Castle stood tall and proud even though it had been through various wars filled with monster attacks and explosions throughout the little Blue Planet's history. It was here that Sakinah found herself staring up, trying to take it all in. There were warrior monks posted at the front gate, atop the front gate, and many other places around the castle. And she could hear them inside the walls, training in groups. She had seen the lady knights of Troia practice their battle skills within the castle back home, but just hearing them from outside the walls now, she was overwhelmed. Every grunt they leashed with each blow they made sounded like a large roar. She wondered how they all could be so disciplined to do it all together like that.

Kain announced their presence. "I am Kain Highwind, commander of the Red Wings, and I bring with me the Skyreader of Troia, Sakinah Skylar," he said in a very loud, booming voice. Perhaps that was just Fabulian culture, and with Sakinah being raised in a matriarchal society, she simply was experiencing culture shock.

"You don't have to do that," the monk said with a half laugh. "We know who you are."

Kain shrugged. "I'm standing at the gate of Fabul. Even if I am not a manly presence normally, being here makes me want to try."

 _There you go, selling yourself short again,_ Sakinah thought as she watched the gate open for them. The couple walked through the gate together, and now the loudness of the monks in training within the courtyard hit her ears at full force. She turned to watch them, rows and rows of monks all wearing the same uniform of a karate gi, all making the same movements at the exact same time. A punch, a punch with the opposite hand, a kick, another kick, a jump kick, and then a shift in body position. Again, and again. It was mesmerizing to watch. She'd never seen anything quite this intense before. How much of the world had she really missed out on being cooped up in Troia all her life?

"What do you think?" Kain asked her. "It's something else, isn't it?"

"It sure is. Even the lady knights back in Troia weren't into it like this," Sakinah replied.

"The lady knights of Troia are respectable in their form, they just train much differently than we do," said a voice Kain recognized instantly. "Though I'll never understand the appeal of a thin rapier over the full force of a fist, but I believe that's a matter of my upbringing speaking."

"Yang," Kain bowed his head, and Sakinah hastily did the same. She'd remembered something about Kain mentioning Yang being a king. She didn't want to seem rude during her first visit to this country.

"Stop that, I get enough of it from the people who live here. I don't need it from a friend," Yang said, and both the travelers lifted their heads. "I received the letter from Damcyan… and I have sent word to Baron. You don't need to worry any longer. We can send you all home with a ship from our docks." He smiled. "But before you go, let us give you rest and fill your bellies."

"That sounds nice," Kain said, also smiling. "Forgive me." He placed his hand on Sakinah's shoulder, which caught her a bit off guard. "Allow me to introduce you to my companion, Sakinah."

Yang put both of his hands together and bowed respectfully to Sakinah. "I am pleased to meet you, Sakinah. Your efforts as the Skyreader back in Troia have saved my people several times over, and I am in debt to you," he said before standing more casually. "Come inside. You must be weary. The trek across Mount Hobbs is never easy."

"While I am exhausted, I would prefer to speak with the paladin in training," Kain said. "Where has Ceodore gone off to?"

"Ah, yes, the princeling has been accompanying my daughter every day since you made for Troia," Yang explained. "I haven't seen a young man that smitten with anyone since the days my darling Shelia and I crossed paths all those years ago, ha ha!"

"He was supposed to be here for endurance training with your men…" Kain grumbled.

"Yes, and _you_ were supposed to be leading effort to help Troia rebuild after a terrible flood, but you come back with a lovely lady," Yang said with a shrug. "I suppose Ceodore emulates you far more than you would like to admit." Kain's face suddenly blushed scarlet red.

Sakinah wanted to keep in her laughter, as she was afraid she would irritate Kain, but she did agree with Yang. Kain's men were still back in Troia even now… and here he was on a much more personal quest, doing his own thing. "He aids me on a quest for the Epopts of Troia," she said, trying to cover for her beloved dragoon. "Do not misunderstand."

"This is not what the letter from Damcyan detailed," Yang said.

"Edward and Harley… they see love in everything…" Kain grunted.

"And what is wrong with that?" Yang asked. "It is love that motivates us to be our best selves, is it not?" He shrugged. "My love for my wife and my daughter are what keep me being the best man, the best king I can be. And what more do I need? Hell, Cecil, Edward, and I have always thought you needed something similar so you could enjoy life more."

"Do we have to discuss this so casually?" Kain asked.

"Love is casual, Kain. It can be formal, but it is best casual. I'm happy to see you have finally found someone to give your heart to. Now maybe she can give your future allies a frying pan to wake you if you are ever in an enchanted sleep by Sylphs." Yang laughed with every muscle in his body, as if he was the happiest man to be alive. "If you'd rather, I'll have Shelia take care of Sakinah, and we can go track down the wayward children."

"Wayward?" Kain asked.

"If Ceodore is following Ursula, then you can rest assured, those two are wayward."


	24. Chapter 24

Don't Fall, part 24

FIC START!

When Shelia came out to greet everyone, Kain didn't even bother trying to be covert about giving Sakinah a kiss on her forehead. If everyone was just going to tease him about it anyway, there was no reason to hide it. Sakinah blushed and went with Shelia, even though she wanted to participate in finding the royal children who'd run off, but she noticed that the duties of men and women were very different in Fabul. While men were training their martial arts and guarding the castle, women were doing more demure things, like what Queen Shelia was doing now. Taking care of a lady guest. While things were similar in Troia, it wasn't quite the same. Instead of making a fuss about it, Sakinah just followed Shelia.

Kain then turned to Yang. "Once we are done with this, I have more to discuss with you. I have reason to believe we may once again be on the brink of war."

"...has the moon returned?" Yang asked quietly.

"No… this is something else entirely. But I cannot discuss it with you in the open. Let us find the children for now."

"...mm, yes, I would rather not spread fear if I can avoid it."

…

Down in the fields where most of Fabul's crops were planted, Ceodore and Ursula had been fighting off any monsters that come their way for a while now. With the combined strength of her martial arts and his sword and shield techniques, they were well on their way to gaining plenty more battle experience. The duo took on every monster, back to back, loving every moment of the rush that came with the battle. They had snuck out before first light, and it was nearing sunset all ready.

"Do you think we should go back to the castle?" Ceodore asked.

"Nahhh," Ursula replied, thrusting her fist into a goblin's skull. "We're good enough that we can even fight all the way through the night! I am Princess of Fabul, daughter of the mighty Yang! I can take on any opponent!" The corpse of the goblin fell over before fading away as all monsters did, leaving behind a potion. She snatched it up and jumped right back to Ceodore's side.

"I don't think that would be very responsible," Ceodore said. "King Yang would be very cross with you."

"Since when did you care what my father has to say about anything? He's not your dad and he's not even your commanding officer in the Red Wings," Ursula said. "He has literally no say in your life. And I can go toe to toe with him in a fight, so he wouldn't even say anything to me should I stay out late."

"That may be, Ursula, but… everyone knows that the monsters out at night are more fearsome, and we haven't a white mage with us. We didn't even bring food."

"I don't care. We can hunt some creature, or go pick something from the fields. Food is all ready at our feet," Ursula said, pointing over to where all the crops were planted.

"That food feeds not just you, but your people, and your people are who tend that field," Ceodore said, finally putting his sword in the sheath on his hip. "It is not yours simply because you are princess and your father is king. Plus you have no idea what is growing, and if it's in a stage of its growth where you can even pick it and eat it without becoming sick!" He shook his head. "Tell me what's wrong, Ursula. You've been avoiding the question as to why we even came out here before dawn all day to begin with."

She sighed. "I don't want you to leave, Ceodore," she confessed. "And I overheard my parents speaking last night. They got a letter from Damcyan about Sir Kain's situation. You have to go back to Baron with him. You have training to do, you have Princely duties..."

"I do, yes, but that does not mean we'll be away forever. You have just as many duties as I do here in Fabul, with your training and your duties as the heir to your crown," Ceodore said, walking up to her. "Ursula, I do not wish to throw away the favor I carry with your father, because I wish to remain close to you. I have to please your father if I'm ever to…"

"...ever to?"

"...be with you, Ursula." He took her hands into his, and even with her massive claws strapped onto her hands, he could still feel the gentle places of her skin underneath them. "You have a rough exterior, but I know your heart is as soft as the palms of your hands…"

"Ceodore?" Ursula asked in disbelief. "So you do… the same way I…"

"Yes..." Ceodore whispered into her ear. "But I do not wish for anyone else to know now. Not until I've finished my training, at the very least."

"Mmm," she agreed, taking her hands from his only so she could hug around him as tightly as possible. Her physically toned body almost squished Ceodore with as tight as she embraced him. That warrior monk spirit was the one thing about her that he loved the most, though. All of the girls in Baron's royal court were simply too much too dainty to attract him. Even if he had to completely give up being king of Baron to be with her in Fabul, should it come to that, he would be more than willing to do it.

That's when they heard the rustling of leaves in the distance. Voices came along with them, calling out "Princess!" repeatedly. Soon they were visible, a group of warrior monks had come looking for Ursula, as they both knew would happen. Immediately, the two split apart, and headed in that direction.

"Ceodore…" Kain's calm voice came from within the crowd of monks. He walked out in front of them. "…what of the lessons I left with you?"

"Sir Kain, I… I…" the young prince couldn't even get his words out, he felt so ashamed.

Ursula shook her head. "Sir Kain, it was me. I brought him out here before dawn so he wouldn't get drawn into his lessons."

"...and I did not refuse her," Ceodore confessed. "I knew it was wrong to abandon my lessons, but I did it anyway…"

Kain sighed, knowing full well that he'd been distracted from his duty as much as Ceodore, and Yang was completely correct earlier. "I will not punish you. Come, you must rest before we head back to Baron. Your mother must be worried sick about you."

"...yes, Sir Kain," Ceodore nodded. "I'm sorry."

As the whole group turned to head back up to the castle, there was a low rumble within the ground. Many of the warrior monks were knocked off balance, but Kain made a leap simply by instinct. He noticed there was something below them. It was so dark he couldn't make out what it was, however. Whatever torches the monks had carried were put out almost the instant the ground started to rumble. And he heard it - a gigantic crack - which sounded as if the earth itself was splitting.

"Yang! Ceodore!" Kain yelled out, hoping for a response.

No reply.

Kain thrust himself away from where things were falling, landing on land that seemed to be untouched by the tremors. When he landed, he noticed there was a crater in the ground where everyone else had been standing. "Ursula? Yang? Ceodore?!" he yelled out again.

No reply again.

Kain looked around as best he could, but without either magic or light to look further, there was nothing he could do. No one responded to him calling out. He felt as if something was chasing him, considering all of the disasters that had occurred since he arrived at Troia. He didn't understand why. He figured that since Sakinah had the blessing of the Crystal of Earth, she would know something as to what happened here or at least be able to figure out what happened here, so he headed back to the Fabul Castle as quickly as he could manage.


	25. Chapter 25

Don't Fall, part 25

FIC START!

Sakinah laid on the bed Queen Shelia had provided for her, wearing nothing but her underclothes as she waited for Kain's return. She had scrubbed herself clean in the bath earlier, and it felt nothing short of heavenly. In Troia, the bath smelled much different than it did here, but she figured it had something to do with the culture. She had to remind herself that her home was more matriarchal, and that would be a reason why the bath would smell much more inviting than it would in a place that was run by men.

Her mind was adrift in all the fantasies she could dream up of the two together, wondering how Kain was fairing in his mission to retrieve the Prince he mentioned so often. Her eyes closed and she wasn't sure if she was going to be able to wait up for him, but then she felt the ground below her bed quell. The whole castle must have felt a tremor like that. She put her bare feet flat on the floor. She searched the surface for any sort of energy, and the earth sounded vengeful. Angry.

"Earth Crystal," she whispered, "Is it _you_? Or is it something else?"

Outside the room, she heard all sorts of men yelling back and forth. There were marching troops in the halls and outside in the castle courtyard. Fabul seemed as if it was under attack or something with all that activity this late at night.

Soon the door burst open and Kain stormed through it. "Forgive me, my lady, but I am in need of your ability," he said hastily.

"Kain… what's going on out there?"

"Yang, his daughter, and Ceodore have been swallowed up by the land itself," Kain said. "I wish for you to use your abilities to read the ground from where they were accosted, to see if there's something you can figure out."

"I will help as best I can, of course," she said. "But you will have to give me a moment."

"We must go quickly. We've no time for anything else."

"Kain…" she said, glaring at him. "I'm not dressed."

He finally took a good look at her. His mind was too filled with the trouble of the moment to realized how little she was wearing. He smiled. He expected himself to be awkward about it, to try to hide the fact that he saw her, but it didn't bother him as much as he thought it would. "I am sorry I did not take the time to notice how beautiful you are, Sakinah," he said, turning around. "Dress as quickly as you can, then."

"If you just give me a moment," she had all ready started putting her dress on and clipping her long hair into place. It didn't take long for her to be ready. "Take me to where it happened."

"...yes."

Kain carried Sakinah there. While the monks were mobilized to find the King and Princess, Kain was able to jump with her in his arms, making their way to where the gigantic hole in the ground came from out of nowhere just before. She took in the time she was so close to him, to his heart. How safe and secure she felt being there. There was a part of her that never wanted that feeling to end, even if they had a situation to take care of.

When he put her on the ground, instantly she felt much differently than when she tried to scan the ground back at the castle. She bent down to place her hands on the earth itself instead of going through reading the energies with her feet. She had a hard time reading the vibrations of the earth. It was messy, jarred. The signals she received were strange. All it did was leave her utterly confused. She had to pick her hands up otherwise it would have also made her dizzy.

"Do you sense anything?" Kain asked.

Sakinah wanted to answer that with something clear, that would have given some sort of lead. "Honestly, no. I can't make anything of the sensations the Earth is giving me right now," she shook her head. "This was not natural. It was caused by something."

Kain looked around before saying, "Come with me into the hole. We can't leave Yang, Ceodore, and Ursula in there."

"I will, but…"

"What's wrong?"

"Being underground, I won't be able to use my Sky magic," Sakinah said. She stood up completely so she could start walking down into the hole that had been created during the incident. "I won't be as useful to you as I was on Mount Hobbs."

"I am not asking you to come with me for backup in battle," Kain confessed to her. He followed her as she walked. "It would be easier with you along with me, rather than sending you back for your safety." He smiled.

The cave did not smell like other caves. Both of them had been in different caves, and most of them smelled murky, of moisture not able to escape into the air. Here, it was more like the moisture wasn't exactly water, but contaminated with something else. What little water they found was completely filthy, devoid of any life. There were no monsters or creatures of any other kind. In some places, the Earth was rotten and decayed, and if anything touched it, the Earth crumbled into dust.

"...this place," Sakinah gasped. "All of this land is dead. I do not feel the energy of… _any_ crystal here, let alone the Earth crystal."

"What would cause something like this?" Kain asked. "The crystals are in their rightful places, and they are honored by all who gaze upon them. No one has done anything to them since the War with the Second Moon…"

"That's a good question," Sakinah replied as she turned around to look more at all the devastation that filled the hole. She started to head in another direction, as she saw something else that caught her attention, but the ground beneath her feet began to give way. She lost her footing and fell to the ground, her face straight into the stagnant dirt. "This ground is… weak, like there is empty space below it…"

Kain reached to help her to her feet again. "Should I just carry you? For someone that is supposed to be in tune with the Earth itself, you're clumsy."

"With someone as light on his feet as you are… _anyone_ would be clumsy next to you."

"I suppose so."

"...considering how weak the ground is here, I wouldn't be surprised if they fell even further because of the gravity pulling down on them," Sakinah thought aloud.

Kain twitched for a moment. "You don't think they could have fallen through to the Underground?!" That would make a swell report back to Baron.

"That would be miles worth of ground… I'm not sure if even a dragoon could survive that kind of fall." She kept looking around, not seeing any clue as to where the missing party could have landed. The warrior monks from Fabul were also slowly making their way through the hole to find their missing royalty.

"Cid did once."

"...your Cid must be immortal."

"Sadly, no. Our head engineer passed away year."

"Forgive me. I didn't mean-"

"No, you didn't." Kain shook his head. "Let's just continue to look around… they have to be around here somewhere."


	26. Chapter 26

Don't Fall, part 26

FIC START!

Sakinah and Kain had wandered that hole for quite some time. The Fabulian warrior monks had followed them, and some even joined their party to back them up in battle. The strange thing was, there were no battles. There were no living organisms down here at all. No life. Usually in the dirt, there was bugs, worms, grubs. But, no, the crystals that gave life to the world above lent this hole none of its power.

"I was under the impression that the crystals helped all life on our world grow," Sakinah said gently as she kept looking around for some signs of the missing royalty.

"The Creator told us during the Final Battle during the War with the Second Moon that life on this planet was impossible without the power of the crystals," Kain explained.

"So that means everything on this planet, every part of this planet, would have to have been blessed by the crystals," she said.

"That's right. If there is life, then there is the crystal's blessing."

She put her hand against a stalagmite. "But there is no blessing. There is no life here. The land above, it had crops growing on it before it burst open. This monk here did mention it was a field to feed the people of Fabul."

"Yes."

"Where did it go?" Sakinah asked.

"Where did what go?" one of the monks inquired behind her.

"Where did the blessing go? If this land was supporting life - growing crops - then it had to have the crystal's blessing! And Fabul itself is home to a crystal, isn't it? Troia, Damcyan, Mysidia, and Fabul are the homes of the crystals. That's what I was taught," She said, mad at herself for not figuring it out. "What has the ability to remove the powers of something so powerful as the crystals?"

"Do not be so hard on yourself," Kain said, pulling her hand away from the stalagmite.

"...I don't know what else to do."

"You don't have to do anything."

"Considering my position to the court of Troia-"

"Consider my position in the court of Baron," Kain cut her off and then immediately felt bad for it.

The ground rumbled around them, causing a few spikes to either fall over or crumble where they were. Whatever it was that caused this gigantic hole was close by. Sakinah couldn't tell what it was, but she could feel the earth beneath her feet as if it was crying in pain. The ground itself was going to rot if it did not have the power of the crystal. She shook around with it, but Kain latched onto her to hold her steady. It didn't take long for him to start wobbling, too.

"I just realized something," one of the monks said once he picked himself up off the ground.

"And that is?" Kain asked.

"...this path is headed in the direction of Fabul Castle," he said fearfully.

"It wants the crystal," Sakinah said, looking directly at Kain. "Whatever that was, it's stolen the crystal's power from the very ground we walk, and it's headed to eat Fabul's crystal!"

"There's nothing in our world that eats crystals," one monk muttered.

"The crystals aren't from our world, so it makes perfect sense that it wouldn't be something we're familiar with," Kain said sternly. "You monks, stay here and look for King Yang and Princess Ursula. Sakinah and I will head back to Fabul to protect the crystal." He held her to him and jumped up out of their sight. He had to use both of his hands to scale the walls, so she clung to him as tightly as she could manage. It was a long way up.

When they got there, they found that all the cabbages and other veggies that were growing in the field were all ready rotten. Sakinah had to hold back her tears as Kain took her again into a long jump, headed back towards the castle of Fabul.

…

Queen Shelia was tired, but that didn't stop her from waiting up for her husband and daughter to get home. She paced back and forth in her royal chambers, wondering if Sakinah had fallen asleep. The poor dear was very tired. She stopped to look out the window and noticed that the fields looked much different now than they usually did. Shelia figured it had to be because the moon wasn't lighting it up, or because when her family wasn't around, she didn't see things in a very positive way. She needed those two to hurry up and come home all ready!

The ground rumbled underneath the castle, and the queen was knocked right off her feet. She hadn't felt anything like this since the Red Wings had come to the castle some years ago. Back before she had been married to a king, instead of a master of the martial arts and trainer of Fabulian monks. It threw her hard, and she couldn't help but think of the time when that young prince with the eyes full of despair teamed up with Yang and the knight of Baron, and they had brought that little girl with the green hair and the very lovely lady of Baron with them. How fondly they spoke of their party members when working together to take care of the wounded. Shelia wasn't good in magic, and she wasn't a fighter. She just stayed in the kitchen and cooked for all those who needed it. Which was how she got to know her husband and fall very deeply in love with him when he was still in training. Why was she remembering all of this?

Suddenly she heard a high pitched sound ringing through her mind. It sounded like the same sound the crystal would let off if it sensed a disturbance. She opened her eyes only to find that the castle was still shaking.

"We're… under attack again?" she asked, picking herself up off the floor. She ran out of her bedroom door, not caring if she was in clothes only her husband had ever seen her in before. "Protect the crystal! We're under attack! It's a siege!"


End file.
